Moments
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A compilation of short drabbles about Kirito and Asuna during some of the simplest of times, which also prove to be some of the most important.
1. Playground

**This is just a small compilation of very short mini-fics I wrote on my tumblr account, (hanasaku-shijin, if you're interested ;). They were originally just birthday presents and requests for friends, but I just wanted to share them. Slight spoiler warning cause some of them happen after volume 4.**

**This one was originally given to me by viodedtime/Noah Gabriel from a blog that lets you imagine your OTP in different scenarios.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online :(**

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Moments

Chapter 1. Playground

"Oooyy! Asuna! You're too fast!" Kazuto called out as he stumbled over his own two feet in trying to keep up.

"Noo! You're too slow, Kirito-kun!" Asuna called back with a giggle, her long, chestnut hair glowing golden in the bright sunshine that was almost more radiant than her smile.

___Well I guess they don't call her The Lightning Flash for nothing… _Kazuto thought as he finally caught up.

It was early evening and the two of them had gotten some free time after school; what was supposed to be 'walking home together' had somehow turned into Asuna pointing excitedly at the vacant playground and suggesting "Neh, why don't we try out the swings?" before scampering off without waiting for his reply, which brought them to the present.

Dropping her school bag, Asuna elegantly climbed the small steps that lead to a series of wobbling bridges and climbing stations. She hopped easily from one structure to the next, remembering the game she used to play with her friends many years ago that did not allow one to touch the ground as they jumped.

"I thought we came for the swings…" Kazuto mumbled, dropping his bag beside hers as he climbed up next to her. She lead him to the top of a large slide, and after fixing the skirt of her school uniform, Asuna sat down at the top.

"Come down with me." She smiled, her hazel eyes brimming with enjoyment. Kazuto sat down behind her but there was not enough room for him to fit.

"It's too small." He frowned regrettably. "Guess I'll just have to do this!" Suddenly, he shoved her back with both hands and Asuna squealed as she began to slide down. He was just about to start chuckling when she reached back and grabbed his leg.

"Eh? DUWAAAH!" He shouted as Asuna pulled him down behind her. The couple crashed to the ground at the bottom on top of one another. Kazuto helped her up and wiped the dust off his uniform. "You brought that upon yourself." He mumbled as she picked grass of her skirt.

"It was worth it." She smiled. Kazuto reflected it with his own and plucked a leaf from her hair.

She then lead him to the monkey bars.

"Ah I remember these." Kazuto reminisced.

"I used to be so good…" Asuna murmured. With an experimental bounce, she jumped up and grasped the bars, leaving her feet dangling off the ground. She managed to get across four or five bars before her hands started to hurt. "Ah!" She whimpered briefly before suddenly dropping down. Kazuto just barely managed to steady her landing as he reached out to catch her. Asuna revealed her palms, slightly red. "Guess I've lost my touch." She shrugged.

By now, the sun was beginning to sink behind the distant trees.

"It's getting late." He cautioned.

"Oh wait, just one more thing!" She gasped before dashing off.

Reaching the swing set, Asuna adjusted her skirt and daintily sat down. Her long legs easily touched the ground, but still she felt compelled to ask, "Neh, push me, will you, Kirito-kun?"

"Fine, fine." He sighed with a hopeless smile as he stood behind her. She clutched onto the chains as Kazuto pulled her up a bit before firmly pushing her back with a grunt. Asuna squeaked a bit as she was sent forward and Kazuto nearly had to jump out of the way to avoid being kicked when she swung back.

Asuna was quickly engulfed by a childish joy, so much so that she could not restrain herself from giggling nonstop as the cool breeze brushed past her face and pulled at her hair.

"Kirito-kun, you too!" She beamed. The strong oranges and pinks of the sunset illuminated her figure and gave her the appearance of a fairy.

"All right." He agreed, taking a seat on the swing beside her. As he kicked off, he soon found himself immersed in the pleasures of his childhood once more, and could not hold back the grin that spread across his lips. Before long, he was laughing blissfully alongside her.

They swung to and fro unevenly for a while, Asuna soaring forward as he was pulled back and vice versa. Then, at some point, their motions synchronized. Without thinking, Kazuto remembered what his classmates would say when that happened when they were younger.

"Hey, Asuna! We're married!" He called with a big grin.

"E-Eh?!" Asuna's surprised squeal made him realize what he had just said and the both of them quickly looked over at one another. Their eyes met as they continued to swing side-by-side, and within seconds their faces became pink with blushes.

Gradually, the two of them began to slow down and came to a stop. Asuna clasped her hands together in her lap as Kazuto retrieved their bags.

"Let me see your hands." He offered her his own, and she turned her palms up so he could see them. They were still slightly red from the monkey bars earlier and by the way she was wincing as he rubbed his thumbs over them, he could tell they still hurt.

"Here." Grasping both of her hands in his, he brought her palms to his lips and gently kissed them. Asuna gasped lightly as her face became flushed and she quickly looked down.

"There. All better, right?" He smiled.

"Y…Yeah." Her coy hazel eyes met his onyx ones for a second before he gently pulled her to her feet.

"Let's go home." He murmured.

"Right."

As she began walking beside him, Asuna quietly took his hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

~The End~

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**A/N: Originally, I'd thought the suggestion was to imagine the couple "_as_ 5-year-olds playing on a swing set" so I had them as little kids at first until I realized it said "imagine them _like_ 5-year-olds" haha. Hope you enjoyed!**

**The next chapters are all their own stories by the way, so look forward to next week!**

**Please review!**


	2. Cooking

**This one was a birthday request from clueless1337 on tumblr :3 Takes place within SAO. (Btw there is no timeline in these stories they are all over the place)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 2. Cooking

"K-Kirito-kun! What are you doing?!"

"I'm cooking!"

"No you're not! You're _burning _it!"

"Ehh?"

Asuna quickly darted forward and killed the flame under the pot Kirito had been 'cooking' in. The blue flame on the burner vanished and the steam puffing up from the pot finally stopped. Kirito waved his hands in front of his face to try and clear the smoke as Asuna coughed several times.

"Okay," he admitted, his eyes watering from the sting in the air. "Maybe I ___was _burning it…" Asuna simply glared at him before letting out a long sigh that suggested he was hopeless.

She still could not wrap her head around exactly why Kirito had been in a 'cooking mood' today. As always, she had woken up several minutes before him that morning, but when he opened his eyes the first thing he said was, "I think I want to try cooking today."

Asuna had never felt chagrined for always doing the cooking in their home on the 22nd floor, not only because she did not care for such sexist stereotypes, but mainly because she simply loved cooking. She loved the technique incorporated, she loved the scent of the virtual food, but most of all she loved seeing that blissful look on his face whenever he took that first bite.

When she had heard his sudden eagerness to help her cook that morning, Asuna had been delighted at the suggestion.

However, 3 shattered ingredient bottles and 2 burnt dishes later, she was beginning to think that the cooking should be left to the person with the 1000-level skill after all.

Asuna removed the lid of the pot Kirito had supposedly been tending to and a hot wave of air hit her face, blowing her bangs upward. The hardboiled eggs that had previously been bobbing up and down in the water were now massacred due to the intense heat they had just suffered, and seconds later their durability gave out and they shattered into pieces.

"I swear," Asuna muttered. "At this rate we're going to go broke because we keep wasting ingredients, and then we'll starve. Imagine, living in this death game for two years and defeating various, demon-like monsters, only to wither away because of hunger."

Of course, there were no intentions of letting that happen and she was merely messing with him, but the seriously concerned look that appeared on Kirito's face at that moment was positively priceless.

"I… I swear I'll get it right this time." He vowed, clenching his fist. Asuna regarded him with a hard stare before giving in.

"Fine. One more try, but if this fails, I'm kicking you out of here." She warned. "Let's see, we've already failed at eggs in every form possible, including omelets so… let's settle for a salad." She called out several vegetables as well as a knife and handed him a carrot. "Cut it. _Slowly_." She articulated, as though he were a 5-year-old.

Determined to complete his new task, Kirito took the knife (it was somehow much more difficult to manage than a sword) and carrot from her and began cutting small chunks onto the counter as Asuna prepared the other vegetables.

By the time Kirito had finished the first carrot, Asuna had already finished everything else and was currently making the dressing.

___Wow_. He thought, her talents never ceasing to amaze him._ I____ guess this is the skill of someone who's maxed cooking..__._

As his thoughts wandered a bit, he did not pay attention to his knife and ended up slicing his finger. "Ow!" He dropped everything in order to stop the bleeding.

Asuna immediately whipped around. "What happened?" She sounded much more startled than she should have been, which sort of made Kirito feel like she had been expecting him to have cut his hand off entirely.

"Just a cut." He soothed her. "Ow, geez why do finger injuries hurt more than battle wounds?"

"Let me see." Asuna gently took his injured hand in both of hers, brushing her soft fingertips over his skin. The bleeding had already stopped, but there was a prickling in his hand that made Kirito grimace. Asuna quietly brought his finger to her lips and kissed the healing wound.

"There. All better." She declared, letting go of his hand. "Now, let's put all this together!"

As they compiled the salad, Kirito smiled as he realized he had actually helped create something decent-tasting for the first time.

They sat at the table to eat as Asuna drizzle the sweet dressing onto their salads. They ate the food which had better taste than anticipated before placing the dishes into the sink and cleaning them side by side.

"That was fun." Kirito smirked. "Maybe next time you could teach me how to make sandwiches."

"N-Next time…" she repeated, breathless at the thought of repeating the ordeal. "Maybe." She sighed. "But I won't teach you how to make sandwiches." She stated firmly.

"Eh? Why not?" He whined.

"Because if you found out, you'd just go selling them off or something!" She huffed.

"I would not!" He defended, pouting.

Seeing his face then caused Asuna to burst out into giggles.

"We'll see." She decided. "Maybe you can help with dinner tonight…"

"And tomorrow!" He added.

"Don't get carried away."

Their playful bickering continued for a while as the two continued to clean the dishes; even though the food they were eating was virtual, the feelings put into creating it together were absolutely real.

~The End~

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! See you next Friday!**

**Please review!**


	3. Dishes

**Another suggestion from the "imagine your OTP doing these things" blog. This one was fun ahaha.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Dishes

"And here you are!" Asuna beamed as she placed the dinner plate on the table before Kirito.

Tonight's dish was a rare steak-like item; drizzled with the sauce Asuna had created herself, it tasted ten times better (also the fact that she had maxed her cooking skill may have something to do with it).

Kirito gazed wide-eyed at the food, trying to maintain his composure for as long as possible. Almost like a puppy, he sat and waited patiently for Asuna to take her seat before they chanted, "Let's eat!"

Kirito dug his fork and knife into the food and devoured it ravenously as Asuna cut her meat at a more refined pace. "Geez, Kirito-kun, you act like you haven't eaten in weeks."

"I-I'm just really hungry…" he mumbled through his mouthful of food.

"Don't eat so quickly. You'll start to lag." She warned. Begrudgingly, Kirito slowed his eating pace which seemed to satisfy her.

Once they had finished eating, Asuna took their plates and utensils and brought them over to the sink. "Help me wash them!" She called to him over her shoulder before he managed to escape into the living room. Kazuto let out a long sigh; if there was anything he could do without in this nearly-perfect home, it was washing dishes.

He trudged over to the sink beside her and rolled up his sleeves, clearly pouting. "The system will provide us with utensils every time we open a drawer depending on how many times we open it. Why do we constantly have to keep washing them?" He grumbled.

"Oh come on," she nudged him with her elbow as she turned on the water. "It just feels natural, doesn't it? Plus, it's only two dishes."

"I guess you're right." He let out another exaggeratedly heavy sigh. Asuna picked up a wet fork from the sink and lightly pricked the back of his hand.

"Ow!" He yelped. "What was that for?"

"Don't be lazy." She huffed before giggling slightly. "How did that even hurt? I barely touched you, Black Swordsman-sama." She smirked with playful mocking.

"I wasn't expecting it." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his hand before lifting his own dish to clean it.

"I'm sorry." Asuna apologized. "I didn't think that would- eep!" She was in the middle of truly apologizing when Kirito suddenly grabbed his fork and jabbed it into her side. Through the fabric of her blouse, Asuna just barely felt the impact, which made it all the more ticklish.

"Oh my, shouldn't you have been able to dodge that, Lighting Flash-sama?" Kirito jeered jokingly.

"W-Why you-!" Asuna quickly returned the favor as he was chuckling to himself, landing a blow with her fork on his stomach.

"Woah!" He cried before narrowing his eyes at her and grinning. "Alright, it's on."

Kirito took up his fork in one hand and his knife in the other and made and X shape in front of his chest. Asuna did likewise, gripping both utensils in a defensive mode.

The two of them battled back and forth like children for a few minutes, constantly darting forward to attack or blocking and making clanking sounds when the metals collided. Their impressive skills showed even in such a carefree mock fight.

They both laughed the entire time, particularly when the other poked them in the side. At one point, Asuna executed a brilliant fake to his face, causing him to move his arms up and expose his side, which she took full advantage of. The resulting, high-pitched sound that resembled a squeak was positively priceless.

Asuna doubled over with laughter when she heard such a noise come from him, and once Kirito had regained enough of his dignity, he went in for the counterattack. As Asuna concentrated on laughing, he carefully slipped his fork to her ear.

Immediately, Asuna shrieked with surprise and giggled harder before taking a few deep breaths. Embarrassed to have shown such a side of herself, her face was pink and her eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

"That was dirty, Kirito-kun." She huffed, readying her stance.

"Well I've got to use your weak spots at other times than just in bed, right?" He smirked.

Asuna's face turned cherry-red at that moment and she gritted her teeth in sheer humiliation.

"P…PERVERT!" She cried, aiming her knife at his throat.

"Woah!"

Instinctively, his arms flew up to block her attack, and he accidentally ended up landing a blow to her face with his knife. Asuna whimpered as she was knocked backward onto the floor and she dropped everything. Kirito immediately knelt down next to her.

"Owww… Kirito-kun you meanie… pervert…" She mumbled, pressing her hand to her injured cheek.

"Ah, geez, I'm sorry." He knew if any other player in all of SAO had seen what he had just done to the adorable, courageous, Vice-Commander of the Knights of Blood, he would surely be targeted by many players, both male and female alike. "Let me see."

Placing one hand on her back, he used his other to slide her hand to the side of her face. A red line was revealed horizontally across her cheek, reaching almost all the way back to her ear. Kirito felt like a total jerk.

"I'm sorry." He murmured again.

"Hmph." She huffed. "It's all because you're a pervert."

"That… might be true…" he admitted sheepishly.

He then brushed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face upward to him. He smiled before leaning down and kissing her cheek softly. Then, he pulled her head to his chest and embraced her loosely for a long moment, and Asuna's lack of resistance informed him that he was forgiven.

At last, he pulled away from her and helped her to her feet before kissing her cheek once again.

"See?" He gave a lopsided grin. "_This_ is why we shouldn't do dishes."

Asuna pouted as she nudged her elbow into his side and he laughed.

~The End~

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**A/N: Thanks!  
**

**Please review!**


	4. Dancing

**Again, this was inspired by a certain post that suggested to imagine the couple dancing, and this was the result! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online**

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Chapter 4. Dancing

"Wow. We really lucked out."

"Well, sort of…"

First to speak was Kazuto, who smiled a bit as he looked around at Asuna's luxurious house which, aside from the two of them, was empty. Her parents and brother were currently off at work or running errands, whereas Asuna and himself had the day off from school.

Asuna's reason for her grimace was because of the foul weather conditions; thunder rumbled the dark gray clouds outside and rain pelted relentlessly onto the roof. The poor weather had forced the couple to stay inside, canceling their plans of a picnic, much to their disappointment. Even though it was only noontime, the dreary weather made them sleepy.

The two of them were presently sitting on the sofa in Asuna's living room with the television quietly playing; rather than watching it, it was simply there for some background noise as they rested side by side.

"Well, at least we can still be alone together." Kazuto pointed out, pulling her shoulders sideways and letting her lean against him.

"Yeah, that is true." She agreed. "I just wish we could enjoy the food I made outside in the park…"

"We can still enjoy it in here." He reasoned. "It doesn't matter where we eat it; as long as Asuna made it, I'll be in heaven either way."

"Oh, you and your sandwiches." She giggled, nudging him playfully in the side.

They nestled closer together on the sofa and Kazuto reached toward the table before him and took his steaming teacup Asuna had just brought out for him moments ago. The air was a bit cool, therefore the hot tea relaxed him significantly as he sipped at the rim.

The television was presently airing general reality shows, but neither of them took much interest; instead they focused more on cuddling up as the rain continued to hiss outside.

"Days like this aren't bad every once in a while," Asuna admitted. "But I still feel like I should be doing… _something_…" She made sure to say it in a way that would not suggest she disliked what they were currently doing.

"I know what you mean." Kazuto shrugged a little, trying to think of something for them to do inside.

Just then, the program on the television changed into a dance show. The couple's interest perked slightly as they watched the complexly professional movements of the dancers.

"Wow…" Asuna breathed enviously. "If only I could do such things…"

Kazuto wanted to blurt out, 'Are you kidding?' but he kept it in his thoughts instead. _Do you have any idea how much more beautiful you are than these women with their fancy, staged moves?_

Particularly when she fought in-game, Asuna would attract the attention of any player in the immediate area, of course including Kazuto himself. He would freeze and just watch her in stunned silence as she twirled her rapier in her fingers, moving her body so naturally it seemed as if she were dancing.

But instead of reminding her of how talented she was with words, Kazuto thought it would be better to show her.

With a small grunt, he put down his teacup and stood, leaving Asuna wearing a puzzled expression where she still sat on the sofa.

"Come on," Kazuto offered her his hand with a grin. "Let's dance."

Asuna's face turned pink as she stammered, "E-Eh? Where did this come from all of a sudden? I'm no good at dancing…"

"Neither am I." He stated almost proudly.

After a moment of thoughtful pondering, Asuna decided that getting up and moving around would prove to be beneficial to her limbs that were beginning to fall asleep, so she accepted his hand.

Having intended to go out on a picnic on a bright, sunny day with him, Asuna had chosen to wear a lavender sundress that day, a soft one-piece that showed off her slim figure and poofed outward around her knees. Now, she looked like a princess who was just offered to attend a ball.

"S-So…" she mumbled once she was standing before him on her spacious, wooden floor. "How do we start? I've never done this before, not even at school dances when I was little or at family gatherings… In fact, I can't recall if I've ever danced seriously before."

"We're not trying to dance seriously." He chuckled. "This is just between us. We're not showing off to anyone else." Kazuto took her left hand in his right, pulling her in by the waist with his left arm. "Don't be so uptight." He soothed as he felt her tense back.

Asuna nodded once determinedly before slowly relaxing her body a little. Tentatively, she placed her right hand on his left shoulder and gently curled her fingers around the fabric of his shirt.

"I-Is this right?" She inquired, somewhat nervously.

"Perfect." He reassured. "But remember, this doesn't have to be 'right'. This is just for us." A small smile presented itself on her lips and she nodded once. "Okay, then follow my lead."

Upon speaking these words, Kazuto began moving his feet (he had removed his shoes at the door and therefore only wore socks presently) across the wooden floor. Asuna, also wearing only her socks, let out a small yelp of surprise as he tugged her sideways.

"Well, dancing _does_ involve moving so be prepared to lift your feet." He joked.

"I-I know that!" She puffed out her cheeks. "I was just preparing myself…"

Asuna shuffled her feet quickly after him as they moved to one side. It took her a few moments to get used to his motions and she repeatedly stepped on his feet and he stepped on hers, which ended in a plethora of laughter and apologies.

But after a few minutes, they began to grow accustomed to each other's movements.

"You're really good, Kirito-kun." She complimented with a smile as he lead her around the room. "And you said you weren't good at dancing."

"I'm really not." He admitted with a slight blush. "I've only ever done it a few times with Suguha at family events." Somehow, Asuna liked the idea of imagining him all dressed up in a suit and tie and ended up giggling to herself.

Their feet began to step in perfect sync, and before long they had created somewhat of a waltz.

Gradually, their pace increased and the balls of their feet padded swiftly and lightly over the hard floor. Asuna's lavender dress glided behind her along with her long hair which was like a flowing river of caramel.

They entrusted their dance to their bodies alone, not even thinking about what to do until they did it, still following one another in perfect harmony. Smiles covered both of their faces, and their eyes were alight with excitement and glee.

The couple continued their dance for over ten minutes, their own flexibility surprising themselves, until their bodies began to feel the effects of the vigorous movement in such a limited area.

Kazuto sent her a look that announced he was going to preform the final motion; Asuna's eyes replied with her consent as she briefly wondered how he would finish.

She received her answer when Kazuto suddenly stepped away from her, the previously-short and constant distance between them now widened. He extended his arm, letting Asuna spin once as she glided away from him for a second before stepping up to pull her back in.

Asuna twirled with an elegance he could not even begin to describe and he captured that moment in his mind until it met its swift conclusion. She finished her graceful spin and found herself falling slightly forward before Kazuto caught her tightly in his arms.

Asuna was breathing quickly with a bright smile on her face, her arms around his neck and her chest pressed against his. Kazuto reflected her smile with his own and for a long moment deep onyx locked with dazzling hazel.

Another moment passed before Asuna straightened her posture and Kazuto let his hands slide from her waist.

"Wow…" she panted, the lively fire in her chest slowly beginning to settle. "That was… amazing!"

Kazuto did not know what else to say, so he simply went with what was on his mind. "You're gorgeous!" He exclaimed, unsure of where this bubbling happiness was coming from as he embraced her.

Asuna found herself chuckling lightly as she hugged him back, feeling like a child again as an innocent bliss washed over her.

They remained that way for a while longer until Kazuto's grumbling stomach caused them to part.

"Come on," Asuna giggled. "Let's go eat those sandwiches."

~The End~

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**A/N: Thanks as always!  
**

**Please review!**


	5. Beach

**This idea came out of the blue. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 5. Beach

"Oooy! Asuna wait up!"

"Only if you run faster!"

Kazuto grumbled as he trudged through the sand behind her as she darted ahead.

The two of them had agreed to meet with their friends today and play on the beach, however Asuna and Kazuto had agreed to arrive together a bit earlier than the rest of their party; Klein, Silica, Lisbeth and Sinon were meeting up at a local restaurant for breakfast before rendezvousing with the couple at the beach.

It was a bright, sunny day and the sky was a dark azure without a single cloud hanging there. Looking out over the beach where the sea and the sky met, it looked as if two oceans were blended in endlessly, and it was almost impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. It was a bit toasty out, but Kazuto was willing to forgive the heat because of the compensation he got in the view.

Aside from the picture-perfect image of the beach and the ocean, there was something much more beautiful than all of that combined, and Kazuto had not been able to take his eyes off of her all morning.

Asuna, who had taken quite a bit of persuading from Liz to attend today's gathering, had repeatedly said it would be too embarrassing to be seen in a bathing suit in front of everyone. Kazuto knew he owed Liz an enormous debt in finally swaying his girlfriend to agree.

Once they had actually made it onto the sand, Asuna had gone from hesitant to hyperactive as she ran off, leaving Kazuto to carry their bags and towels. But he did not mind that either, as it proved as another excuse to walk slowly and keep his gaze fixated on her.

Her slender figure was like that of a nymph, her snow-white skin dazzling, almost sparkling under the rays of the sun. Her bathing suit consisted of a generic bikini with pink stripes that did her flawless figure too much justice for him to handle. A matching pink skirt reached her thighs where it ruffled criminally and then proceeded to show off her graceful legs. Her long, chestnut hair glowed brilliantly, putting the sunlight to shame as she reached the edge of the water.

Kazuto, in his simple black swim trunks, placed their bags in the sand and noticed that most faces on the beach, male and female alike, had turned to gaze at Asuna. When she turned on her heel, and shouted "Kirito-kuuun!" while waving joyfully, Kazuto received several glares from other boys as they muttered.

_Hey, don't get mad at me. I have no idea how I got this blessed either._ He thought, walking over to Asuna.

"I haven't been to the beach in sooo long…" she sighed, still beaming.

"Same here." He nodded. "Come on, let's swim for a bit before the others get here."

Together, they dipped their bare feet into the lukewarm water and gradually waded in.

Asuna poised the first attack as she splashed water at him and giggled.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?" Kazuto quickly countered as he splashed her back with both hands. Asuna laughed gleefully as she turned her back to him before kicking off from the bottom and sending water flying toward him. Kazuto met her attack with a similar one and the two went back and forth with splashing.

At one point, when he was busying himself with looking at fish, Asuna snuck up behind him and jumped onto his back, bringing them both down into the water.

Another time, Asuna had been floating on her back with her eyes closed when Kazuto had come up behind her and dropped seaweed on her head. Asuna shrieked before charging after him and throwing globs of seaweed back at him.

Several moments later, Kazuto suggested they head out toward where the waves were stronger. "We can dive under them or ride on top." He declared, leading her out a bit further.

He demonstrated first and dove underneath a wave as Asuna watched a little ways off until he resurfaced, shaking his head from side to side and sending droplets of water flying.

"Now you try." He called over to her.

Asuna squared her shoulders as a wave approached her, readying herself for the impact. As it drew nearer, she took a deep breath before diving under, feeling it pull her slightly from above. She broke the surface several seconds later with a gasp.

"Wow!" She exclaimed.

But as she rubbed the water from her eyes, she could not see the next wave coming on so quickly and it was upon her before she could prepare herself. It swallowed her up as she squealed and was promptly knocked over.

"Aw crap." Kazuto held back his chuckle as he made his way over to where she lay on her side in the shallows. "You okay?" He asked with a grin.

"Uwaah…" Asuna coughed several times as she readjusted her bikini and pulled her wet hair out of her face. "That wasn't fair." She sniffed, slipping her palm into his as he pulled her back up to her feet.

"You'll get better." He reassured her. "Let's go together."

As Asuna fixed herself up a bit, he led her back into the water. With a firm grasp on her hand, Kazuto counted down as a large wave approached them.

"Aaand now!" He shouted.

Jumping forward together, they dove under the water, their fingers still entwined until the pressure passed over them and they resurfaced. Asuna beamed at him as she began to get the hang of the endeavor.

The couple continued to body surf and wave dive together for about ten minutes, laughing and splashing with great merriment all the while.

When they began getting tired, Asuna selected her last wave. She twisted onto her stomach as it pushed her forward straight into Kazuto's awaiting arms.

"Let's go back, shall we?" He suggested, a little breathless. Asuna continued to smile as she nodded in agreement.

They returned to their beach bags and Kazuto laid out a large towel for them to lie down on. Asuna wrapped herself in a smaller, yellow towel to dry off, padding her damp hair dry and wringing out the salt.

"Maybe we should just relax till the others get here." Kazuto suggested, lying on his back as Asuna cuddled beside him.

"Do you not have a towel, Kirito-kun?" She wondered.

"I forgot to bring one. But it's okay." He shrugged.

Asuna unraveled herself enough to drape half of her towel onto him. Kazuto grinned as he accepted it and the couple cuddled closer together under the soft fabric, the sand giving quite a comfortably-textured bed beneath them.

Before long, Asuna had drifted off into a light slumber and Kazuto qucikly followed.

Moments later, the rest of their party arrived and spotted the two.

"Che. That bastard. What a show-off." Klein mumbled.

"Uwaah!" Silica cried out, pointing. "Kirito-san and Asuna-san are-mmph!"

"Leave them be." Sinon cut her off, covering the younger girl's mouth.

"I swear, those two…" Lisbeth simply mumbled with a helpless smile on her face.

The four of them walked over to where Kazuto and Asuna were lying, and as if sensing the audience, the two of them blinked their eyes open.

Asuna squeaked in surprise as she and Kazuto scrambled up. Both of their faces turned red as they quickly tried to justify themselves to their friends, who merely rolled their eyes teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Liz nodded helping them up. "Let's just go play."

Kazuto and Asuna shared a quick glance before replying simultaneously:

"Right!"

~The End~

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**A/N: God I had too much fun writing this one. Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**


	6. Christmas

**Tis appropriate timing, no? Happy holidays!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online (there'd be more fluff if I did).**

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Chapter 6. Christmas

"Hello? Ah, Kirito-kun! Perfect timing! I just finished with my family's party. I'm leaving to meet you now. Yes... Yes, me too. See you soon! Bye!" Asuna cheerfully hung up her cell phone and gathered her things.

It was presently Christmas Day about 4PM, and she and Kazuto had arranged to meet up for the evening and spend it together after they had seen their families. After concluding that Asuna's family still did not particularly dislike Kazuto or like him either, they thought they could make things easier just by meeting up themselves.

Asuna had debated a long time with herself what her boyfriend's present should be, but she soon decided on making him a scarf. Although she had maxed her in-game sewing skills, she was still a bit clumsy in real life, so she had trained hard in order to complete it just a few days ago. It was currently wrapped up in tissue paper in a small bag she would be taking with her.

Her outfit was another small present for Kazuto, since she knew that probably no boy would mind their girlfriend dressing in such a fashion. Her hair was down as usual but tied with little red and white ribbons here and there. She wore a red dress that reached her thighs with white fluff about the collar and long sleeves, accompanied by thigh-high socks with white and red candy-cane stripe patterns. She slipped on matching red boots, gloves, and a white scarf as well as a Santa hat before gathering her gift for Kazuto.

"I'm leaving!" She called out to her family who gave nods and tiny smiles back; Asuna knew they would come around sooner or later.

She stepped out the door into the cold air, suppressing a shiver as she began walking toward the designated meeting spot. The ground was covered in a thin layer of snow and little flurries still fell, making for a rare white Christmas.

She arrived within a few moments at a certain bench on the sidewalk, cleared the snow off, and sat down with a shudder. "The things I do for this boy... he'd better appreciate it!" She huffed under her breath as the frigid cold seeped into the exposed skin of her legs.

She counted the cars driving by for several moments until she heard the crunching of snow that suggested footsteps. At the same time, a familiar voice that warmed her heart called out to her; "Asunaaa!" She heard him running toward her from behind the bench and quickly turned around and called back, "Kirito-ku-mph... ahahahahaha!" She broke out into hysterics the second she saw him, doubling over on the bench and hugging her sides.

"Aw, come on, it's not _that_ funny, is it?" Kazuto gave a crooked smirk. He was wearing a generic Santa costume, but the part that was so hilarious to Asuna was the white beard that hung from his chin. The clothes were also far too big, which made it even funnier.

"K-K-Kirito-kun... what are you wearing?" She managed to ask between giggles.

"I borrowed it. I guess it doesn't fit, huh?" He wondered, taking a seat beside her.

"No, no. I think it's perfect!" She beamed as the laughter died away, but small giggles still escaped her lips and tears clung to the corners of her eyes. Kazuto grinned goofily past his beard, just seemed to notice Asuna's attire, and blushed.

"I think... yours is perfect, too." He mumbled, unable to conceal how his face turned red.

"Really? It's not too short?" She clutched the ends of her dress and tugged them down adorably, in such an irresistible fashion that Kazuto had to wonder if she was doing it on purpose. He swallowed as he took her gloved hands in his.

"It's perfect." He repeated earnestly. Asuna chortled with a little nod of embarrassment.

"Well, anyway, I have something for you." She announced, slipping her hands away in order to grab the little bag she had brought along, shifting it from her lap to his. "Merry Christmas, Kirito-kun."

Kazuto accepted the bag with a smile an Asuna leaned sideways closer to him to watch him open it. He removed the purple tissue paper to reveal the handmade scarf. His eyes widened when he saw it, which made Asuna blush shyly. The scarf was of black wool but had dark gray and silver patterns woven into it. It was just the perfect length and was extremely soft and warm; Kazuto could easily tell that Asuna have woven her feelings for him into every stitch, and the softness and warmth he felt from it was probably produced by her having put her heart entirely into its creation.

"Wow. This is awesome! I love it!" He cried.

The childish light in his onyx eyes at that moment along with his make-believe attire moved Asuna quite a bit; she thought it was certainly a wonderful sight to hold onto the precious feelings of being young.

Kazuto threw his arms around her shoulders and Asuna laughed lightly as she patted his back.

"Thank goodness! I'm glad you liked it!" She sighed.

"Wrong." He pulled back and looked into her eyes as she tried to refrain from laughing at his beard. "I don't like it. I _love_ it." He wrapped the scarf around his neck and Asuna helped him adjust it; although it looked a bit odd with what he was wearing right now, they both knew it would go significantly better with his usual attire. "Now it's my turn." Kazuto declared.

He reached into his pocket and presented her with a small, rectangular pink box. He had purposefully chosen a clearly elongated shaped, for he feared if he had given her a generic small velvet square box, she might faint on the spot. As he slid the box into her gloved palm, he could not help but wonder if he saw a bit of disappointment in her eyes that it was not an engagement ring box. But her golden-auburn eyes quickly relit with joy as she accepted the gift.

She carefully opened the lid to reveal a golden, heart-shaped necklace that also appeared to be a locket. "It's beautiful." She whispered, gently slipping one glove off to pick up the heart with.

"Now watch." Kazuto leaned over and, slipping off his own glove, took her bare hand with his. He guided her finger to a small button on the side of the trinket and had her press it.

Asuna heard a faint clicking sound before suddenly, her field of view exploded in greenish-blue light. She jumped a bit at the sudden change and looked confusedly over at Kazuto, but his eyes were focused on the green light before them. Upon closer inspection, Asuna realized the light was projecting from the heart-shaped necklace, forming somewhat of an intangible computer screen directly before her eyes. She watched in stunned amazement as her eyes adjusted and gradually, she made out characters written on the grid. There was a projected message before her eyes, and she gasped as she finally made sense of it:

_Dear Asuna, _

_I love you, always and forevermore. _

_- Kazuto_

A few seconds later, the message faded into the air, the green light vanished, and all was still again.

Tears freely flowed down Asuna's cheeks as she continued to stare in awe and amazement at the space of air before her. She curled her fingers around the necklace as she tried to remember how to breathe.

"Neh, Asuna," Kazuto murmured from beside her. "Did it work?" He wondered. Asuna turned sideways to face him and he panicked when he saw her crying. "O-Oy, Asuna, what-"

"You idiot!" She cried, throwing her arms around him, still clutching the jewelry. "Of course it worked! Why else would I be like this?" She buried her face into the scarf she had made him as he embraced her back, stroking her hair as he smiled. Asuna hiccuped a few times before speaking again. "This is... the most wonderful thing in the world..." she whimpered. "Thank you, Kirito-kun. I'll treasure it forever. And you, too." She squeezed him tighter and he did likewise.

They stayed that way for a while, during which time, more snow began to fall. When Asuna finally believed she could keep her tears back, she pulled away to face him. "How does it do that?" She wondered with a small smile, glancing down at the golden heart in her palm.

"It's a new product." Kazuto explained as he picked it up. "Only the person who presses this button can read it, and it'll work every time, so I'll always be with you."

Asuna felt the stinging sensation of tears within her eyes again but sniffed them back as Kazuto slipped his arms around her neck, brushed her hair aside, and fastened the necklace. When he had finished, he pulled away to admire the sight of her, looking like a cross between an elf and an angel. "Merry Christmas, Asuna."

She nodded once and closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met, but for a second shorter than usual before Asuna had to pull back.

"I'm sorry." She giggled.

"What?" He asked, feigning a pout.

"Your beard tickles."

"Ah." Kazuto made a face as if he had completely forgotten about his costume, which had Asuna giggling more. "I'll take it off." He said.

"No, you don't have to." She stopped him, placing her hand atop his. "I... kind of like it. It's fuzzy and warm."

Kazuto blinked once in surprise before smiling. "Alright then." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in again to kiss her again. She laughed against him, but resisted the urge to pull away at the ticklish sensation.

When they next pulled apart, Asuna locked her gaze with his. "But make no mistake," she said in her kindergarten teacher voice, pointing her index finger at his nose. "This doesn't mean you can grow a beard."

"Okay, okay." He sighed exaggeratedly. It was then when he noticed her shivering. "Are you cold? Sorry, I didn't notice because I was too busy being so warm with this lovely scarf made by my lovely girlfriend."

"Oh you..." she stuck her tongue out at him cutely.

"Let's go to dinner." He suggested, helping her to her feet.

"Dressed like this?" She blinked.

"Why not?"

"You're so weird, Kirito-kun." She sighed hopelessly. She then reached out to hug him once more. "I love you too," she breathed. "Forevermore."

Kazuto kissed her forehead before taking her hand in his. As they began walking, their eyes met again.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

And despite the snowflakes falling onto their hair, their hearts were very warm indeed.

~The End~

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**A/N: Ah that last line reminds me of the Cold Hand, Warm Heart chapter :3 Hope you enjoyed! Happy Holidays!**

**Please review!**


	7. New Year's

**Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 7. New Year's

"Heeeey! Kirito-kun, wait up!" Asuna called out into the cold, night air as she chased after her boyfriend.

"You'll have to catch me!" He stuck his tongue out at her as he glanced back over his shoulder while continuing to run.

"W-What's with you all of a sudden? Geez..." She huffed.

The couple had previously been nicely walking to the shrine together to celebrate and pray for their New Year's wishes. Snow covered the ground in a thin later and flurries had been falling all evening, hence why Asuna had been shivering a few moments ago. Taking notice of this, Kazuto had suddenly taken off in a run shouting "If we run, we'll warm up!" Other people walking around them had chuckled and watched the spectacle with amused smiles as Asuna, left with no other option, charged after him.

However, the blasting wind pulled at her trench coat, scarf, and hair, her boots sinking into the snow as Kazuto easily dashed ahead. (She was content to note that he was wearing the black scarf she had made and given to him for Christmas).

She followed him through a small path that cut into a forest, and Kazuto only stopped when the shrine was in sight. He spun around, hunched over a bit with his hands gripping his knees as he waited for her.

"S... See?" He wheezed. "You're not...cold anymore, right?" He grinned. Asuna slowed to a heavy trudge as she neared him, fighting for air, her breath puffing before her in white billows. Upon reaching him, she slipped slightly and he quickly grabbed her shoulders, "Whoa, easy there." He chuckled.

"S...Sorry..." Asuna panted. "But yes, I... I'm not cold... anymore... haaaah..." She let out one final gasp before straightening up. "Well, we're here now, so let's go enjoy ourselves." Beaming like the moonlight, she took his gloved hand with hers and led him on toward the shrine.

A small stand selling food stood on their right, so the couple bought some warm bread and sat on a bench to enjoy it. Kazuto briefly recalled the time he had met her in SAO; sitting side by side in a similar fashion, only with a bit more distance between them, he had offered her a cream item for her otherwise dry, dull-tasting bread.

Presently, he watched her munching from the corner of his eye, her small, mannered bites and straight posture perfectly mirroring her virtual self that he had know for two years before meeting her in reality. Asuna caught him staring with a grin on his face and blinked her eyes wide open mid-chew. Blushing, she, ducked her head and covered her mouth as she mumbled, "W...What are you looking at?"

"Aha, my bad." Kazuto wiped the crumbs from his gloves and rolled up his sleeve to glance at his wrist watch. "We've got about 15 minutes left until midnight." He announced.

Asuna popped the last piece of her bread into her mouth and swallowed. "Let's go to the shrine then." She stood and dusted the snow off her skirt and then did the same to Kazuto's hair.

They then locked hands and made for the shrine. Tossing in coins, they clapped their hands together and prayed. "I hope to be together with Kirito-kun even more this year." Asuna murmured.

"I hope to eat even more of Asuna's delicious cooking this year." Kazuto added. She jabbed her elbow into his side with a playful pout.

Once they had finished, they sat back down on the bench as the tension in the air began to build as midnight drew closer. The majority of the people around them now were couples, all similarly snuggling together in wait of the big moment, all striving to share the first New Year's kiss.

This was Kazuto and Asuna's first New Year's together, and it was an unmistakable fact that they wanted to partake in the famous couples' kissing.

As the last minute began to tick down, Asuna shifted closer to Kazuto and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"My first New Year's kiss with Kirito-kun," Asuna breathed. "Or rather, my first one ever! I'm so excited!"

"Me too." He nodded. "But isn't there also something romantic about having the last kiss of the year, as well?" He wondered thoughtfully.

"Hm. Now that you mention it, that does sound sweet as well." Asuna pondered his suggestion as the final thirty seconds began being vocalized by the surrounding people. "But still... I want to have the first New Year's kiss." She decided.

"I see..." The look Kazuto got on his face just then was one Asuna recognized all too well; it was the slightly devious look of when he had concocted some kind of mischief in his head.

"Kirito-kun, what-?"

"I've got an idea." He cut her off with a smirk as the countdown descended from 10. Pulling her in closer, he leaned forward. "I want this to be the last thing I say this year..." He gazed into her chestnut eyes and she blinked once before letting her eyelids fall shut. "I love you, Asuna."

With seconds to spare, their lips met as Kazuto kissed her. Asuna kissed back warmly as her arms found their way around his shoulders, pulling him in closer as they melted into one another.

The New Year arrived with a loud chorus of cheers from the surrounding people, various small fireworks sounding and sparkling to life. Kazuto hugged Asuna's waist tighter and she held her breath as he still continued the kiss. Asuna stiffened as she felt herself getting lightheaded but could not bear to pull away from him; they were both lost in the fuzzy passion burning within their chests that challenged the chilled air.

At last, they broke apart, wheezing a little, their cheeks flustered and pink.

"I love you, too, Kirito-kun, or rather, Kazuto-kun." She replied with a beaming smile. "I wanted those to be my first words of this year."

Kazuto's blush deepened when she spoke his real name; she was the only person alive who could make it somehow sound enchantingly wonderful.

"I love you, too." Kazuto grinned.

"You've already said that." She reminded him.

"Yeah, but that felt like _last year._" He pointed out.

"Oh, you..." She giggled as he embraced her again. Her heart was still pounding from the exhilaration of the long kiss, which reminded Kazuto to explain himself.

"So was that a special enough kiss?" He wondered. "Not only was it the last kiss of last year, but it was the first kiss of this year as well."

Asuna's eyes widened a bit in surprise when she realized the truth in his words before she hugged him back.

"That's wonderful, Kazuto-kun!" She squealed, making him bashfully bury his face into her scarf.

As the other people continued to celebrate and talk around them, the couple on the bench remained still embracing for a while as the small, white snow flurries continued to fall into their hair.

Several moments later, the two of them jumped slightly before sneezing in unison, which resulted in them moving apart, making awkward eye contact, and then bursting out into merry laughter.

"Come on, let's go." Kazuto stood and offered his hand to her. "Let's go get ready to watch the first sunrise."

"Okay." She gratefully accepted his hand and stood beside him. "Happy New Year, Kazuto-kun." She said, for good measure.

"Yeah." He ducked his head with a goofy, embarrassed smile. "Happy New Year."

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**A/N: And a happy New Year to all of you! Next chapter is their first New Year's sunrise together!  
**

**Please review!**


	8. Wish

**Continuing from last chapter, Kazuto and Asuna's first New Year's sunrise together, and their wishes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 8. Wish

As was tradition on the first morning of the New Year, Kazuto and Asuna intended to watch the first sunrise of the year together.

After leaving the shrine behind, Kazuto had taken his girlfriend back to his house to wait with her until dawn; his aunt and Suguha were presently at a party elsewhere.

As they entered the house and removed their shoes, Kazuto noted that it was just before 1AM. _Hmm... What can we do to keep ourselves awake for 5 or 6 more hours?_ He wondered.

"Ah, I wish I'd brought pajamas." Asuna sighed. "I didn't think I'd be sleeping over at Kirito-kun's house tonight..."

"Well, it's not really sleeping over," he pointed out, amazed that he had kept the stutter out of his voice considering she had just made him realized they would have the house to themselves the rest of the night. "We're going to be staying awake, after all."

"I guess you're right. If we fell asleep, we'd probably miss the sunrise. And setting an alarm would just feel like cheating." She nodded.

"I feel the same way." He agreed. "Here, follow me. I'll find you something more comfortable to wear." He said as she removed her scarf and coat and hung them next to his.

Kazuto waited downstairs as Asuna changed into a pair of of Suguha's pajamas she hardly ever wore. When he heard Asuna's footsteps a moment later, Kazuto turned around and blushed a bit when he saw her. He had seen his cousin wear the soft, lavender, long-sleeved shirt and matching long pants before, but Asuna somehow did the outfit much more justice, in his opinion. "It fits?" He asked.

"Yep!" She beamed, making note she would have to apologize to Suguha later for wearing them without her permission. "So, how are we going to stay awake?"

"We could play some games." He suggested.

"Okay!"

They settled for non-MMO video games for about an hour before their eyes started to sting and they switched to board games and puzzles. For a while, they managed to enjoy themselves without looking at the clock, engaging in playful competition for over 3 hours.

Around 3:30AM was when the two really started to begin to feel the affects of staying up a full 24 hours.

"Ah, this is no good after all." Asuna mumbled, her voice slightly hoarse. "These games won't keep me awake for much longer. May I use your shower?" She wondered.

"Sure," he consented. "Just make sure you don't fall asleep in there."

"You, too, Kirito-kun. You're not allowed to fall asleep while I'm gone." She stated firmly.

"I know, I know." He waved her off.

As she headed off toward the bathroom, Kazuto cleaned up the 500-piece puzzle they had just completed before sitting down on the couch and turning on the television. He found that nothing much was on at this hour and merely used the background sounds to keep himself from nodding off.

However, about ten minutes later, his eyelids started to feel heavy, but before they could stay closed for more than three minutes, a cool hand lightly shook his shoulder.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna whispered. "You're not asleep, are you?"

"Mmh, no. Not at all." He mumbled, reopening his eyes.

"Ah, good." She sighed with a small smile as she sat down beside him and began patting her long, damp hair with a towel. Kazuto knew she was relieved he had not fallen unconscious with sleep while she was away, for if he had, she would not have had the heart to wake him.

Even with the lights on, the room seemed to glow with a sleepy aura that misted in from outside. The sweet scent of cherry blossoms that wafted from Asuna now was more than enough to make him pass out, but Kazuto fought off the urge.

The couple proceeded to play word and guessing games for about another hour, when at last, the sky slowly began to turn a pale gray. Asuna had just slumped onto Kazuto's shoulder when he realized this fact, and he promptly shook her.

"Oy, Asuna. It's almost time." He announced.

"Mm... time for what...?" She murmured.

"For the sunrise. Don't give up on me now. Do you have a wish you want to make?"

"Of course I do."

"Well then, let's get up and watch."

Groggily, the couple roused themselves as they slipped into their boots and jackets. Kazuto helped wrap Asuna's scarf around her shoulders and she nearly collapsed on her feet until he swiftly caught her. "Come on, let's go outside." He chuckled with a yawn.

The crisp, early morning air woke them up as the cold air blasted their faces. The clouds were breaking and milky light was beginning to fill the sky. Kazuto and Asuna held hands as they walked to the edge of the Kirigaya's house, sitting on a bench on the sidewalk, the cold sensation waking them up further. Their eyes fluttered open and closed various times until the sun's rim was finally visible beyond the distant horizon. Golden light filled into the sky, chasing away the shadows of the night and illuminating the blankets of snow in a vibrant glow.

"Come on," Kazuto nudged her awake, straightening his back to face the first sunrise of the year. "Make your wish."

"Mm..." Asuna took in the sights of the scenery for a moment before she let out a long breath. "I wish to be with Kirito-kun even more this year." She declared in a clear voice.

"Oy, you stole my wish." He complained.

"What, you wish to be with yourself more this year?" She giggled.

"Ye- Wait no, not me. I wish to be together with Asuna more this year." He corrected himself.

"I hope our wishes come true." Asuna smiled, stifling a yawn. "I'm glad we stayed up and I got to see the new sunrise with you." She said, blushing. "

"Me too." He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "We should go back inside now."

He stood with her and they walked back into the house. They removed their coats and boots before curling up on the couch.

Their eyes locked gazes briefly and they shared smiles before the couple immediately fell asleep within one another's arms.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading~**

**Please review!**


	9. Misunderstanding

**I was challenged to do this. I don't know how to warn you, but read till the end if you will.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own SAO.**

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Chapter 9. Misunderstanding

"Okay, Asuna, are you ready?"

"I...I guess so..."

"Come on. Either you're ready or you're not."

"..."

"Look, I'm not going to do anything unless you're ready, okay?"

"...Okay. I'm ready..."

"Alright. I'm going to start."

Asuna and Kaztuo sat on Kazuto's bed; it was evening and dusk was just about to settle, sending a dusty light in through the window. The bed creaked as the two shifted about.

"I-Isn't it kind of hot in here?" Asuna asked, trying to sound casual.

"If you're trying to stall, it's no use; you just said you were ready. Was that a lie?" He challenged, his dark eyes sparking.

Asuna recoiled. "I-It's just... I'm not good at these kind of things..." she trailed off.

"Oh, come on." He nudged her side. "We've done this before, right? At _least_ once. Probably even more..."

"D-Don't make me remember!" She shrieked.

"I'm going to start, okay?" He decided.

"F-Fine." She agreed ruefully. The bed creaked again.

"Here I go." Kazuto announced. "I'll start but you just follow at your own pace to begin, alright?"

"Got it..." she nodded. There was silence for a few seconds as Asuna tensed but Kazuto was too excited to hold back now. "Ah! W-Wait, Kirito-kun! N-Not so fast!"

"Ah, sorry. I was just getting so into it. I'll wait for you..." he apologized.

When Asuna was finally up to speed, he began moving again, a bit slower. He led on fearlessly as Asuna constantly winced and squeaked along the way.

"Okay," Kazuto announced after a few minutes. "It's time for some action! I'm going in!"

"Ah, w-wait!" She cried. "K-Kirito-kun, you're going too fast! Slow down!"

"Sorry."

"W-What was that technique?" She gasped, incredulously.

"I created it myself. Was that too hard? "

"A little..." she admitted.

"I could teach you, sometime..."

"No! I'd never be able to do it!" She shook her head vigorously.

"Haha, okay." He chuckled. "How're you holding up? You okay?"

"Yeah. There was a bit of damage, but I'm fine."

"Okay. We're going to finish up soon. This is the best part."

"I'm not sure if I can..."

"Alright!" He shouted, not listening to her protests.

"W-Wait! Kirito-kun, I don't think I can do this anymore!" She cried.

"No, Asuna! You can't stop now! I can't do this without you!"

"W-Why would you say something so serious-sounding during something like this?" She wailed.

"You can do it!" He encouraged. "Just a little more."

"N-No..."

"Gwaaah! Asunaaa!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaa!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Asuna had never been good with horror, and that was true even with video games, something she was exceedingly gaining more skill in. Kazuto had waited until she had steeled her emotions to begin the scary game with her as they sat on his bed.

As Kazuto had mentioned, they had played these kinds of games together several times before, but most times Asuna would quit ahead of time from being afraid, or she would feel sick from seeing so much blood on the screen when their avatars slaughtered zombies (or were eaten by them).

As usual, Kazuto had started off running ahead, leaving the terrified Asuna behind in a dark forest setting until she caught up. He had then jumped into a hoard of zombies and used various original techniques to defeat them. Asuna's character had taken some damage during the fight, so Kazuto had offered to teach her his techniques sometime, but she felt they were far too advanced for her.

Shortly afterward, they found themselves against the final hoard of zombies which was particularly hard to defeat with one player, hence Asuna's presence. However, still not having gotten over her fear of scary things, Asuna had again chickened out with a scream as she dropped her game controller, hid under the blanket, and left Kazuto alone to die in the game.

"We were so close..." he sighed.

"I-I'm sorry... After all I'm just no good with these..." she mumbled, picking up the controller.

"It's okay, you'll get better eventually." He patted her head with a grin. "Come on. Let's get something to drink. It was kinda hot in here."

As the two hopped off of Kazuto's bed, they had been unaware that Suguha had been in the hallway the entire time preparing to offer them drinks, only to run off with her face beet-red, apparently having misunderstood something.

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**A/N: Let me tell you this was not easy to write. I kept just thinking "oh my god I'm horrible" but when someone suggested this to me rather than a full-on chapter 16.5, I figured I could get off the hook with this. (I could never write a real lemon for them or anyone I just...ugh I couldn't). **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed? Or at least got a chuckle out of it.**

**Please review!**


	10. Taunting

**Aha well let's bring things back down a notch after last chapter, shall we? This will be a 2-parter with chapter 11. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 10. Taunting

"Come on, Kirito-kun, let's go! Pleeease?" Asuna begged.

"No way! I can't ice skate for my life!" He protested.

"You'll never know until you try!" She reasoned.

"I _have_ tried and I _know_ I can't do it..." He grumbled back.

They were presently walking home from school on a Friday afternoon, both wearing scarves and jackets due to the wintertime chill. Asuna had gotten the idea of going ice skating with him in her head within recent days, probably from seeing advertisements on television or having heard her friends talking about it.

Therefore, she had been constantly pleading for him to take her, despite his arguments. Kazuto had mentioned to her, probably twenty times now, that he had attempted ice skating before with several friends at one of Suguha's birthday parties when they were very young. At the time, Kazuto could barely manage to stand, let alone move around like most of the other people could.

When he rejected her invitation yet again, Asuna puffed out one cheek.

"Come on, just for a little while. We don't have to stay long, I promise. I just want to go around the rink with you a couple times." She gazed up at him with imploring, auburn eyes. It was getting to see that irresistibly adorable expression on her face that made Kazuto play the villain. He had told her several times before that she could very easily go with any of her friends and leave him behind, but each time, Asuna had refused. "I want to go with Kirito-kun." She had said each time.

In truth, Kazuto had decided to accompany her the very first time she asked, but he assumed that the sadistic side of him just enjoyed seeing her pout.

"I'll carry your bag for you." Asuna bargained, swooping to the side to seize his school bag and slinging it over her shoulder along with her own. "And make you lunch and bring it to the rink with us. I'll make your favorite sandwiches."

"So you'll be my slave if I go with you?" He clarified.

"What? N-No, I'm just-" Asuna trailed off in a sputter of mumbles and pouts before she begrudgingly gave him his bag back.

They were approaching a bench on the sidewalk and an idea popped into Kazuto's head.

"Let's sit for a moment." He urged, and Asuna hesitantly followed. Apparently, she was in 'convince-him-to-go-at-any-cost!' mode and was in full-gear, for she kept fidgeting about with a determined look on her face. Kazuto hid his amused smile behind his scarf as he watched her; she was clearly confused and frustrated as to why he was refusing her so easily, and he could practically see the gears turning in her mind as she tried to concoct a method to win him over. He felt it was on-par with having a present for someone, and why taunting them about it up until their birthday was so unbelievably fun somehow.

"I promise you'll have fun." She decided to go with the 'you'll-get-something-out-of-the-experience' technique rather than the 'I'll-do-this-for-you-if-you-go' payback technique.

In response, Kazuto crossed his arms and closed his eyes, giving off the impression that he was thinking seriously about her offer. He could picture Asuna's determined expression as she clenched her fists before her chest, waiting on his reply.

At last, Kazuto opened his eyes and made eye contact.

"How about a kiss?" He suggested.

"E-Eh?" Asuna's instant fluster was priceless as her face turned pink. "R-Right now? In a place like this where everyone can see us?" She brought her fists to her knees and suddenly found great interest in the frosted ground. Kazuto bit his tongue to keep from laughing as she tried to calm herself.

"O-Okay." Asuna straightened up and faced him. "I'm- mmph!" She was cut off as Kazuto kissed her.

Having been rudely cut off mid-sentence, Asuna was left with no choice but to maintain her breath as best she could and kissed back. She began to hear amused whispers from passerby and quickly closed her eyes in an attempt to block them out.

The couple remained melted into the kiss for a moment before breaking apart. Asuna's face was flushed and she was gasping lightly. She remained silent for a moment, savoring the feeling of his warmth until she seemed to remember the issue at hand.

"W-Well?" She blinked up at him. "Are you satisfied now? Now that we've done s-something like that in such a public place, will you come ice skating with me?"

"Hah?" Kazuto tilted his head to one side. "I didn't mean if you kissed me, I'd go with you. I just suggested we kiss..."

Upon hearing such an outrageous statement, the blood that had been flowing back to its proper place rushed back to Asuna's face.

"W-What? Are you serious, Kirito-kun?" Mortified, Asuna instantly hunched forward and buried her face in her lap.

Kazuto chuckled madly to himself, desperately trying to muffle the sounds behind his wool scarf. He loved messing with her, but was unable to keep himself from reaching out to pat her back.

After a few moments, Asuna raised herself up again, her eyes still watery from embarrassment. She lost the determination in her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "Is there really nothing I can do to make you come with me?" She flashed one final-attempt, pitiful glance at him. At last, it seemed his time of messing with her was finally up.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kazuto asked sarcastically. "I was planning to come this whole time." He said.

Asuna then presented him with the most priceless, dumbfounded, and incredulous expression that Kazuto could not help but burst out into laughter upon seeing.

"W-What?!" She exclaimed. "But this whole time you were saying you weren't good at it! W-Why are you laughing?" She whimpered, confused.

When Kazuto had finally regained his composure, he landed his hand on top of her head.

"Come, on. Did you _seriously_ think I was going to refuse going with you?" He continued to chuckle while ruffling her hair. "I never actually said "I'm not going", did I?"

"But... But..." Asuna blinked up at him with watery eyes as his ply came into focus. "Y-You're such a meanie, Kirito-kun!" She cried, batting his hand away. She crossed her arms over her chest and spun on her heel to turn away from him with a 'hmph!'

Kazuto grinned and let her fake her anger for a moment before asking, "So when are we going?"

Instantly, Asuna turned back to him with an excited smile. "Tomorrow." She beamed.

"Great." He smiled as they stood and commenced their walk home. "Ah, but that thing you said about making sandwiches was true...right?" Kazuto asked sheepishly.

Asuna merely shrugged her shoulders and gave him a wicked smile.

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**A/N: This was an idea from a reader. Next chapter, see if Kazuto gets his sandwiches or not!**

**Please review!**


	11. Ice Skating

**I AM SO SORRY IT SLIPPED MY MIND LAST NIGHT. Yesterday was so busy so I forgot to update please forgive meee!  
**

**Here's the other half of last week's story! The idea of ice skating was suggested by a reader, so feel free to suggest ideas (I run out of ideas at times!) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online**

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Chapter 11. Ice Skating

"Come on, come on, let's go!" Asuna squealed.

"Alright, I'm coming..." Kazuto replied, feeling less like a boyfriend going ice skating and more like a father who had agreed to take his daughter to the princess aisle of the toy store.

It was Saturday, which meant it was the day he had promised to go ice skating with Asuna, and, despite his relentless taunting of her the previous day, she had still made and brought lunch for the two of them. When he had gone to pick her up that morning and seen her with the basket, Kazuto had officially declared himself the luckiest man on Earth, and Asuna, the most wonderful and forgiving angel in all the heavens.

As they walked side-by-side, their coats pale tan and contrasting ebony, Asuna continued to bounce around slightly; the spring in her step caused her pink scarf and chestnut hair to flow out behind her, and there was a joyful swinging motion to both her arm that held the basket and the hand that met with his.

Kazuto watched her fondly from the corner of his eye, her bright smile suggesting her sheer excitement. "Geez, you're like a little kid." He chuckled.

Hearing this, Asuna ceased the delighted humming she had partaken in and stopped swinging her arms as she seemed to realize something.

"Sorry." She bowed her head, feeling a little ashamed. "I'm the only one having fun, aren't I?"

"Dummy." Kazuto used his free hand to bonk her head. "Of course I'm having fun. And what's so wrong with getting excited about something you enjoy? Come on." Tightening his grasp on her hand, he began to swing his arm back and forth. The glee returned to Asuna's eyes as she instantly got back into the rhythm and continued to bounce along beside him.

Despite the winter breeze, the scarf and gloves she had made him for Christmas never failed to keep Kazuto warm, and as he glanced sideways at Asuna, he could just make out the familiar golden necklace peeking out from beneath her scarf. She had not taken it off since the day had given it to her, and often pouted to himself about the fact that she could wear it for the rest of her life, while Kazuto would have to settle for only wearing her gift in the cold weather.

The ice skating rink that was their destination was just over half an hour's walk away, so naturally by the time they arrived, the couple was fairly chilled and slightly out of breath.

"Let's hurry," Asuna huffed. "It'll be warmer once we start moving around."

It was an inside skating rink, therefore it was slightly heated in the leisure area where customers could eat at a small restaurant and leave their belongings, but Kazuto knew that if they stopped to relax for too long, they would probably not want to go onto the ice.

Asuna removed her coat and left it with the basket on a table before she sat down and began fumbling with her skates. She was wearing a pink sweater, black leggings, and a rustic-colored mini-skirt and Kazuto shivered just by looking at her.

"You're going to freeze." Kazuto chided.

"Maybe," she agreed. "But wearing a big, clumsy jacket will only throw off your balance." She informed him. With a regretful sigh, Kazuto also removed his jacket and placed it by hers, noticing that his appearance of gray on black paled pitifully in comparison to her.

After finishing tying her own skates, Asuna knelt down a bit awkwardly to secure Kazuto's for him.

Deciding to keep their gloves and scarves on, the two of them carefully made their way to the ice. Asuna confidently stepped onto the rink, which was significantly less crowded than anticipated. She pushed off and glided easily across a few feet of ice before turning back to him.

"No fair..." he mumbled. "You didn't even wobble for a second."

"Here," Asuna took his left hand. "Just use the walls for support at first." Obediently, Kazuto leaned against the wall with his other hand as Asuna slowly began to lead him around the rink; Kazuto was a bit embarrassed to note that most of the other people on the rink were also couples, but their roles were reversed. "Just move your legs as if you were walking normally." Asuna coaxed. "Once you get the hang of it you can start to go faster, and then you'll be flying around this place before you know it!"

He followed her halfway around before letting go of the wall, and Asuna carefully let go of his hand as he glided forward. "I think I'm getting it..." he mumbled.

"That's it!" Asuna cheered. "Slowly. Keep your balance." But whether Kazuto stumbled or was surprised at just how close her face was to his when he looked up, he was unsure. Yet the next thing he knew, he was falling.

"Ah-" Asuna attempted to reach for him but was a heartbeat late, and her fingers missed his as he fell backward, landing on the ice with an "oof!"

"Are you okay?" She stopped beside him as he pushed himself up.

"Does a broken tailbone count as okay?" He moaned.

"I'm sorry. I..." she looked away briefly with a slight blush. "I distracted you, didn't I?" She said softly, helping him up.

"If I can just keep looking at you, I don't care how many times I fall." He grinned.

His cliché line was touching all the same, and earned him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, you..." Asuna could not force back her joyous smile as she wiped the bits of dusty ice from his hair. "Come on, you almost had it." She tugged him forward again.

By taking the curves of the rink slowly and following all of Asuna's directions, it took only about another minute before Kazuto was skating almost as well as she was. "There you go!" She clapped. "It's almost like you're leveling up!"

"Let's see how fast we can go." He decided.

"Okay, but be careful." She nodded.

"Aaaand go!"

At his signal, the two of them took off at top speed. They swerved around other skaters and lapped many of them several times, and the rush of air and exhilarating sensation was almost unreal, so much so that it reminded Kazuto of a race in the virtual world.

At one point, Asuna pulled ahead of him and began skating backward. "Catch me if you can!" She called before performing an impossibly graceful turn and tearing off ahead of him, her luscious hair billowing out behind her in a stream of caramel. Kazuto shook himself back to his senses, reminding himself of what had happened the last time he gazed at her for too long.

He easily could have waited for her to come around and pass him, but he decided there would be no thrill in that, so he gradually picked up speed. She kept her lead on him for a good three laps, until a bewildered group of skaters who were watching them in amazement barricaded her way. Asuna slowed and made a wide arc around them, but it took her the extra second long enough for Kazuto to finally reach her.

"Tag." He smirked, tapping her shoulder.

"You got me." She admitted. "But I think I'm done for now..." Panting heavily, Asuna began to slow her pace to a glide.

"I guess you're right." It was obvious he had enjoyed it much more than he wanted to let on, but Kazuto, too, was quite exhausted.

They circled the rink one last time together in order to slow down. When they neared the exit of the rink, Asuna finally felt her racing heartbeat begin to subside as she came to a stop. But just then, a thought hit her and she turned back quickly.

"Ah, Kirito-kun, about stopping-" But her warning came too late.

"Aw crap-"

Kazuto, who had not been informed on how to stop, lost his balance and ended up crashing into her. Asuna hit the ice with her boyfriend on top of her, and instantly began to shiver upon contact with the cold. Several other skaters giggled as they passed by, and Kazuto clumsily scrambled off of her.

"S-Sorry, Asuna. Are you alright? Did you hit your head?" He fretted.

"Not hard." She grunted as she pushed herself up and Kazuto supported her shoulders. "Sorry, I should have told you how to stop." She chortled, a bit sheepishly.

"Nah, I should have asked!" He replied with a lopsided smile. Getting to his feet, he offered her his hand and helped her up as well.

"Boy, we sure made a scene, didn't we?" Asuna noted the giggling people as they exited the rink.

"They're just jealous." He said smugly.

"You're certainly right." She agreed, trying to sound full of herself.

They sat down, removed their scarves and gloves, and untied their skates before returning them, and getting their shoes back.

"Lunchtime." Asuna announced and Kazuto beamed.

But as they were walking back to their table, he suddenly heard her gasp loudly and turned to her.

"W-What's wrong?" He asked frantically.

"My-My necklace..." she stammered. Her pale fingers brushed against the exposed skin of her collarbones but made no contact with the jewelry that had previously been there. Panic lit her auburn eyes for an instant and Kazuto watched her in dismay.

"Ah, wait!" He quickly reached forward, placing one hand atop hers and brushing his other through her long hair. Asuna froze, but an instant later, the heart-shaped necklace was back where it belonged. "It just got tangled in your hair. It's okay." He soothed, seeing that she had been on the verge of tears.

"Oh, thank goodness." She breathed. "If I were to lose such a precious treasure, I..." she trailed off as her trembling ceased.

"It's okay." Kazuto patted her head before tilting her chin up and gently kissing her.

When their lips parted, she let out a small breath before inhaling quickly, the smile having returned to her face.

"Right." She took his hand in hers as they walked back to their table. Asuna then reached down and presented the basket to him with a bit of a smirk. "Now, about those sandwiches..."

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**A/N: Again, sorry this was late! It won't happen again! (I hope). And sorry if there were errors. I sped through editing so I could post it faster!**

**Please review!**


	12. Bus Ride

**As several people have pointed out, what was supposed to be a compilation of one-shots that didn't necessarily have to be related, has now pretty much turned into related chapters recently. I'm simply rolling with this plot because I get a different idea each week, but this might not stay like this forever, just so you know. Later chapters might just relate back to earlier ones and whatnot. Either way, I do hope you continue to enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 12. Bus Ride

"Ah geez, I am sooo exhausted!" Kazuto exhaled as he nearly collapsed into his chair.

"M...Me, too..." Asuna agreed, still out of breath.

After the two of them had eaten Asuna's delicious, homemade lunch, they had wandered around the skating rink a bit more. They discovered an arcade near the leisure area and ended up playing various shooting and racing games for about two hours, which was about two hours longer than they had expected to stay there.

After gaming, they had decided to go ice skating one last time and got their skates back, (thankfully they were not charged a second time), and proceeded to race around the rink.

Kazuto was like a completely different person the second time he got onto the ice, and neither of them fell once as they practiced and performed all sorts of tricks and complicated moves. They had then returned to the table where they had eaten, and presently, their energy levels were totally depleted.

"Gosh, what time is it?" Kazuto wondered, blinking one eye up at a clock above the cafe. "Geez! It's already 5! We've been here all day!" He exclaimed.

"We probably would have left about an hour ago if Kirito-kun hadn't challenged those guys to a match in the arcade before." Asuna said with playful accusation.

"W-Well what did you expect?" He grumbled guiltily. "How could I just stand back and watch as they played it totally wrong? They didn't even know what a safe zone was!"

"And so you tried to explain, got in an argument with them, and ended up challenging them to a battle." She finished.

"Which I won, if you recall, within 30 seconds." He boasted.

"Yes, yes." Asuna sighed with an amused smile.

"And who are you to talk, anyway?" Kazuto threw the blame back at her. "I'm not the one who was smug enough to accept a duel with the number 1 player of that racing game."

Asuna's cheeks immediately turned red as she straightened up. "B-But he was so sweet about it..." she defended herself.

"You crushed him like a flea." He stated bluntly.

"Yeah..." She mused. "He never had a chance~" She sang.

"You're truly evil you know that?"

Asuna gave a conceited grin and Kazuto commended himself for being able to survive her antics sometimes.

"Well, we should probably get going now," Asuna commented, standing up to put on her coat and gloves. "They'll be closed soon, anyway. Plus, we should probably get moving before we get too tired to walk."

"Ah, yeah, Asuna?" Kazuto groaned as he stood. "Don't you think the bus could work this time? I've had enough activity for one day, and possibly for an entire month." He added. "Also, it's pretty dark out and we're spent."

"I guess you're right." From the way she winced when she stretched out her arms, Kazuto could tell that she was just as sore as he was.

Kazuto's ached as he attempted to slip into his coat, so Asuna helped him pull his sleeves on before wrapping his scarf around his neck. Picking up the now-vacant picnic basket with one hand, Asuna gave her free hand to Kazuto as they exited the building.

A fresh blast of cold air whipped through their hair and they hurriedly rushed toward the bus stop. They shuffled in place for only about 5 minutes until the bus arrived, and they paid the fair and sat together. Aside from a few other passengers, the bus was more or less empty, but there was a fine gust of heat emitting from the ventilation system, allowing Asuna to loosen her death-grip on Kazuto's arm.

"Let's see, if it took us 30 minutes to walk here, it should only be about 10 minutes till we get home." Kazuto concluded after glancing at a map of the bus's designated stops. He then let out a large yawn and blinked his eyes sleepily.

"You should take a nap." Asuna suggested. "It'll just be for a few minutes, but you need to be able to walk back home, too."

"You're right." He concurred. "Well then, if you'll excuse me." He promptly leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes as the bus began to move.

"Dummy." Asuna scolded lightly, causing him to reopen his eyes.

"E-Eh? But didn't you just say-" He stammered with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Dummy!" She repeated, a bit louder before lowering her voice. "W-What I meant was...O-Of course you can...you know..." she turned her face, flushed cherry red, toward the window. "Lean on my shoulder..."

Like a child who was just offered the best toy ever, Kazuto's face lit up with a smile.

"I-I'd be delighted to!" He accepted graciously.

"Shh! Lower your voice!" She hissed, trying to fight off the blush.

"Right, goodnight!" He sang, not having lowered his voice one bit, as he rested his cheek on Asuna's shoulder. "Ahh, it's like I'm journeying to heaven..."

She very nearly pushed him away out of embarrassment, but instead remembered to breathe deeply and managed to restrain herself.

But when she realized that Kazuto was so close to her, her image of softly cuddling together with him vanished like a mirage. Instead of snuggling with him like she did in her vision, she became unbelievably tense and self-conscious as Kazuto dozed off into slumber on her shoulder. She straightened up like a statue and suddenly became very aware of her breathing.

_Oh gosh! This is not how I planned it!_ She screamed internally. _B-But it's only for 10 minutes. I can do this..._ She calmed herself a little as she stole a glance down at Kazuto's sleeping face. But still she was painfully aware of her irregular breathing now, and it was no longer the natural process it should have been. She kept fidgeting slightly, but only on her right side so he would not be affected.

At one point, she nearly forgot to breathe altogether and had to keep reminding herself to inhale. Yet she worried that if she breathed too quickly or deeply that it would wake him, so she had to keep her breath in check. (Despite her grades and intelligence, it was during times like these when Asuna started to show her slight airheadedness, as the shaking of the bus would affect him more than anything).

Meanwhile, Kazuto slept peacefully and blissfully at her side.

It had certainly not turned out to be the cute, romantic ride home Asuna had envisioned.

_Alright. We're almost there._ She noted as she saw a familiar neighborhood outside the window. But just as the bus was about to near their stop, it turned in the opposite direction. _E-Eh? W-__W-Wait! No! Go back! What are you doiiiing? _She cried out in her head as she stared beseechingly at the back of the bus driver's head.

She had started to hyperventilate but quickly caught herself and made sure Kazuto was still asleep. _I can't take this anymore..._

She was so stiff and self-conscious that it was painful. Her left arm had fallen asleep 5 minutes ago, and the static-like prickling sensation had crept up and down her entire left side probably about 3 times already, and the 4th wave had just begun.

Asuna truly demonstrated her best self-control as she forced herself to keep still, breathing as slowly as possible.

_Ah, what a disaster_. She lamented just before her eyes closed and all was black.

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"Oooy. Asuna?" She slowly blinked her eyes open as she heard his familiar voice coming from below. As she regained her senses, Asuna found that she had fallen asleep while resting her head atop Kazuto's.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry..." she mumbled, moving away from him as he lifted his cheek from her left shoulder. "H-How long have you...been awake?" She yawned.

"Only a few minutes." He replied. "Sorry I had to wake you up, though."

"No, it's fine." She said. _I'm glad he slept well. _She felt better in knowing all her fretting had not been for nothing. Asuna tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes but found that her left arm would not obey her at all. "Ah. I'm completely numb."

"Sorry about that." He apologized, reaching out to gently rub her shoulder, to which she unintentionally squeaked before letting out a comfortable sigh. "It seems we took a detour or something, and we still have about 5 minutes until we get to our stop." Kazuto informed her. "Why don't you rest until then?"

Without waiting for her answer, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He grinned and she blushed and looked away quickly.

"H-How can you do it so casually?" She mumbled, slightly jealous.

"What do you mean?" He blinked.

"I mean... I was so tense..." She sighed.

"Well, I am a man after all!" He laughed. "But you've just got to relax. There's no reason to be scared or embarrassed about it; you're my girlfriend, after all!"

Their gazes met and Kazuto smiled warmly at her. Asuna's heart skipped; of course she knew that she was his girlfriend, but for some reason hearing him say it was so wonderfully flattering. _That's right. _I'm_ his girlfriend, and no one else. And he's _my_ boyfriend_. She reminded herself, satisfied.

"Okay." She decided. "I'll be more comfortable next time."

"Sounds good." He kissed the top of her head. "Now rest. I'll wake you when we get there."

"Mm." She nodded before slouching a bit and leaning onto him, hugging his arm as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

_Only 5 minutes, huh? _She mused as she entered a light sleep. _If only this bus ride could last just a little longer..._

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**A/N: This was another idea from the ImagineYourOTP blog. See you next week!**_  
_

**Please review!**


	13. A Little Longer

**Teehee, I decided to keep going with it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 13. A Little Longer

Asuna could feel her consciousness slip away as she was surrounded by Kazuto's warmth.

She felt she was on the borderline of REM sleep while still being vaguely aware of what was going on around her; Kazuto's soft breath, the blast of warm air from the heating ventilation, the rough shaking of the bus as it headed toward their stop... She listened to that rhythmic_ click-clack-click-clack _as the vehicle rumbled along over the pavement, providing somewhat of a lullaby for her.

She felt like she slept for an hour when she finally blinked her eyes open to find herself still on the bus, slightly surprised that it was still driving. _Did I space out? Because it felt like I really fell asleep... _

She pondered for a moment while staying where she was until she realized something. Her eyes widened as she quickly lifted her head and looked up at Kazuto.

He was happily asleep with his head leaning toward one side and a small trail of drool on the corner of his mouth.

"K-Kirito-kun!" Asuna immediately shouted his name, but was not embarrassed about it because they were now the only passengers on the bus. He instantly awoke and looked around with a startled glance.

"Wuh-what?" He promptly wiped his mouth on his coat's sleeve.

"Dummy! You weren't supposed to fall asleep, too!" Asuna cried, landing a light punch on his chest. "I was just supposed to rest for 5 minutes until we got to our stop, but you fell asleep, too!"

"Ahaha... I guess I did..." he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile that quickly faded into an expression of 'oh boy, this is bad'.

"I can't believe this..." Asuna groaned. "What time is it?"

"Ah... Almost 6." He replied, glancing at his cell phone.

"What?" She cried. "You mean we left the skating rink at 5 and it should have only taken us 10 minutes to get home but then an extra 5 because of the detour but now you're saying we've been on here for almost an _hour_?!" She was so incredulous that she said everything in one breath, which left Kazuto faintly impressed.

"It looks like it." He shrugged. "But it's a Saturday night. There's nothing bad about being home at 6 o'clock." He pointed out, smoothing down her ruffled hair with his hand. The panic that was in Asuna's eyes then faded as she realized the legitimate reasoning behind his words. She let out a long breath as she regained her composure.

"You're...right." She agreed. "It's not that late. Mother and Father won't be upset."

"Of course not." He soothed reassuringly. He was glad that she was finally getting the opportunity to stay out what would be considered 'late' for her on a weekend night. Since she had officially started dating Kazuto months ago, her parents' strictness had gradually began to dwindle into a form of respect for their daughter's choices.

Once Asuna had calmed down, she looked out the window.

"I wonder how far from home we are..." she mumbled.

"I'll go check." Kazuto stood on the rickety bus and moved up to the front to speak with the driver for a few moments before returning to her side. "I guess for all of our misfortune, we're pretty lucky." He chuckled. "Apparently he didn't know there was anyone else left on the bus, so he was just about to head back to the station until we started talking."

"Uwah. That would have been bad..." Asuna cringed just from imaging all the trouble they would have to go through in order to return home if that were the case.

"But he said he'd take us back to our stop now. It shouldn't be any longer than 15 minutes." Kazuto finished.

"15 minutes." She repeated experimentally. "Okay, that sounds good. I can stay awake that long."

"Me, too." He nodded. "But until then, how about I help you out with what we were doing before?"

"E-Eh? What do you mean? You're not being very specific." She blinked in confusion.

"I mean this." Kazuto slumped sideways to lean on her shoulder just as he had been before. Asuna jumped a little and he laughed. "Why are you getting so embarrassed? Like I said before, you're my girlfriend. You don't have to be so shy about it."

"B...But I can't help it." She muttered. "We're in public..."

"Not... really." He whispered, jerking his head sideways to indicate the empty bus, aside from the driver who was a good distance away.

"O...Okay." She took a deep breath and tried to relax herself, straightening her posture, her hands balled into fists on her knees.

"Dummy." He repeated her name-calling from earlier. "Your posture's too rigid. This shouldn't be torturous for you just so you can make it comfortable for me, you know." He reached forward to place his gloved hand on top of hers. He could feel the tension in her stiff knuckles and wordlessly squeezed her hand to get her to loosen up.

It was not often he got to see her shy side, so he made sure to periodically glance up to glimpse her blushing expression. Asuna seemed to be battling her emotions of embarrassment with the fierce desire to enjoy this crucial alone time with him and to make the best out of this experience.

After a few seconds, she slipped one of her hands from under his and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, just as he often did to her. She relaxed her posture and timidly pulled him closer to her.

Pleased with her efforts, Kazuto took the subtle invitation and nestled up to her side. She gasped lightly, but soon relaxed again as she finally brought herself to gaze down at him, a fond smile on her face. _That's right. _She thought. _This is how I wanted it to be. This is how it should be. _She then boldly pulled him as close as she possibly could to herself before leaning down to kiss his hair, causing Kazuto to blush in turn.

The remaining minutes of their ride home were spent in this position, both lightly breathing and enjoying the heat from the bus as well as from one another.

At last, the bus came to a halt. Regrettably, the couple broke apart as they stretched briefly and Asuna gathered her basket. They stood and exited the bus after Kazuto paid a bit extra for the inconvenience they had caused.

The familiar setting reassured them both as they began to walk toward Asuna's street.

"Ahh..." she sighed, her breath puffing into white clouds. "Now I kind of wish we could have stayed on the bus longer..."

"Me, too." He pouted a bit. "But at least you know for next time how to relax."

"Mm!" She nodded cutely as she imagined what "next time" would be like. _Where will we be "next time", I wonder? _

Just as a light flurry was beginning to fall again, they reached Asuna's house.

"Thank you so much for coming with me today, Kirito-kun." She said, spinning on her heel a little to face him. "I had _so_ much fun. Almost too much!"

"I did, too." He agreed. "We'll definitely have to go back sometime. Is that place open in the spring and summer?"

"Of course! And there are also other places like for skiing and water parks." She added.

"Sounds awesome." He said, getting excited just by thinking about it.

"But that's for later." She stopped her thoughts before she could get ahead of herself. "Valentine's Day is coming up soon, so I've got to prepare myself." She winked.

"But you just finished making me this scarf!" He protested. "You don't have to do so much for me-"

"Of course I do!" She cut him off. "Because I'm Kirito-kun's one and only girlfriend and you're my one and only boyfriend." She declared triumphantly, loving the sounds of the phrase. "Plus, I'm not doing it because I _have_ to; I'm doing it because I _want_ to."

"Alright then." He grinned hopelessly at her before placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her in a bit. Asuna closed her eyes as their lips met, overriding the freezing air around them as time stopped for an warm moment until they broke apart. "Good night." He embraced her briefly before stepping away.

"Night." She replied. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Kazuto watched her go until she vanished into her house, missing her warmth as usual as he headed home to wait until tomorrow when he could hold her again.

* * *

**A/N: If I had a nickel for all the cheesy ending lines I've written...**

**Next week's is the Valentine's Day chapter!**

**Please review!**


	14. Valentine's Day

**Ah this one ended up being a tad long, but Happy late Valentine's Day! (Also love how it turned out to be the 14th chapter, teehee).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online, booo.**

* * *

Chapter 14. Valentine's Day

Asuna awoke to a gray morning on February 13th, and a light flurry was floating down to blanket the ground.

She wearily pushed herself up from her mattress and wiped her watery eyes as she stumbled over to the window. Pulling the curtains aside, she immediately brightened when she saw snow covering the early-morning scenery; not even the streets were visible.

Feeling a rush of excitement, Asuna quickly located her cell phone and dialed her school's number to be met with a recording that announced a snow day. "Yes!" Asuna could not help herself from giving a little bounce, though her voice was still a bit hoarse from sleep. Aside from the natural excitement of hearing school was cancelled, Asuna was overjoyed for another reason as well.

It was presently a Wednesday, and tomorrow was Valentine's Day. She had planned to make Kazuto's chocolate that night when she got home from school, but the weather had just blessed her with an entire day to herself. _Now I won't feel rushed to finish homework and other assignments as I make it!_ She thought with a smile.

Hurriedly getting dressed into a casual blouse and skirt, she rushed down to the kitchen to prepare herself breakfast, but was shocked to find her parents there.

"M-Mother! Father! Good morning. What are you still doing home?" Asuna inquired, puzzled, but still sure to remember her manners.

"We're staying home today because the roads have been closed due to ice." Her mother replied promptly. "It's such a hassle to be stranded here. If you take too many days off, you become a lazy person like your father." She muttered. Asuna's father chuckled a bit, and Asuna knew that even if it did not appear that way, her parents were getting along well.

_Oh well._ She thought. _Guess there's no helping it. I won't get too much quiet when I make Kirito-kun's Valentine's cookies..._

She had decided that buying store-bought chocolate was not something she wanted to do for him, and her past experiences, both virtual and not, had proven to her his love of cookies, which was why she had decided to bake him some for the holiday.

As Asuna made her breakfast, she brought out all the ingredients she would need for her project.

"Making something for Kirigaya-kun?" Her father asked from the table.

"Y-Yeah... just a bit..." she replied a bit awkwardly, still under the impression that her parents were not as fond of Kazuto as she had hoped they would be by now. She stole a glance at her mother who was watching the news and gave no visible reaction. Yet, she did not stop Asuna either, which the daughter took as her mother's silent consent.

Finishing her toast, Asuna gathered all of her supplies: butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt, baking soda, and the chocolate chips she had bought yesterday. She was humming a joyful tune and practically spun on her heel when she reached the refrigerator.

"Mother?" She asked, somewhat timidly just in case her strict parent was in a foul mood from being kept away from work. "Where are the eggs?"

"Where they always are." Came the blunt reply.

"T...That's the thing..." Asuna trailed off.

"Ah..."

Both women turned to the source of the guilty sound and looked at Asuna's father, who sat at the table with a plate of half-eaten scrambled eggs before him.

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Asuna cried out as she circled her room, pulling at her hair. "I had everything planned out, I'd bought everything I needed, and school even got cancelled, but then something like this happens! If I'd just woken up 20 minutes earlier I could have stopped him from eating the last of our eggs! Stupid Papa!"

Asuna continued to groan and blame herself for a good 10 minutes. She had tried to insist on going out to buy some more, but her mother had refused, saying: "Absolutely not. It's freezing out there and we don't need you getting pneumonia."

"I just can't believe it." She repeated in dismay. "I had it all planned out perfectly. Now I'll have to resort to just buying chocolates for him on the way to school tomorrow. Unless I can give him the cookies a day late?" She pondered the idea for a second, but then decided against it. "No. Some things just have to be done a certain way at a certain time."

She had concluded that she needed to give him something on Valentine's Day itself, even if it was store-bought chocolate. Yet she had yet to completely dismiss the idea of making cookies for him.

Asuna spent the remainder of the day wiping off her parents' cars and shoveling snow. The flurries stopped during the evening and Asuna sat eagerly by the window in the living room, praying for plow trucks to clear their road.

"Asuna." Her mother's voice snapped her from her reverie and Asuna instantly straightened her posture.

"Y-Yes!" She answered.

Her mother approached and sat down on the couch across from her daughter; Asuna's heart began to pound as she braced herself for some sort of lecture.

"You're not going out to buy eggs tonight." Her mother stated firmly. Asuna felt her heart drop; so her mother had been aware of what she intended to do.

"Mother, please, I-" Asuna tried to justify herself, but her mother raised a hand to stop her.

"Let me finish." She said, adjusting her glasses. "It's too cold and dangerous to go out tonight, but if you wake up early enough tomorrow morning, you can go."

Upon hearing those words, Asuna's heart soared again. "Do you mean it, Mother?" She gasped.

"I understand that there are things that a girl just has to do sometimes." Her refined mother then gave Asuna a wink, and the girl thought she was dreaming. "Now get to sleep so you can wake up tomorrow." Her mother instructed before standing and heading to the kitchen.

"Right!" Asuna beamed.

* * *

Asuna trudged through the snow the next morning before the sun rose and bought a carton of eggs, making sure to be extremely cautious not to trip in the snow and drop them on the way back.

She finished baking the cookies just as her parents woke and prepared to leave. Before her mother left, she gave her daughter a proud smile that made Asuna's heart swell with pride.

Asuna packed the cookies into a pink box and tied it with a ribbon before letting out a long sigh of relief and accomplishment.

When she arrived at school in her uniform, she greeted all of her friends including Lisbeth and Silica, and handed them small bags of cookies she had put into her bag.

Asuna placed her bag at her desk and hid Kazuto's present inside. At last, she found Kazuto, who had not realized she had entered the room, in his seat and quietly walked up behind him. "Surprise!" She cried as she hugged him from behind.

"Woah, Asuna!" He shouted. "Where were you this morning? I waited to walk with you, but you didn't show up."

"Sorry." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I had something to take care of, so I was a little late."

Kazuto smiled and kissed her cheek in return.

"By the way, Asuna?" He started.

"Yes?" She smiled, tilting her head to one side.

"Aren't _you_ the one who usually doesn't want to be seen like this in front of other people?" He chuckled.

Asuna's smile faded and her eyes widened as she glanced up; all of their classmates' amused eyes were fixed on the couple.

"T-T-T-This-" Asuna was immediately tossed into panic mode as she quickly released Kazuto. "W-W-Well I thought it might be okay..." she turned from him and clutched her skirt bashfully. "Just for today... because it's a special day..." she mumbled, her face cherry red.

"Oy, don't be all shy about it _now_." Kazuto stood and hugged her from behind, causing her to freeze. "Everyone knows we're dating. And besides, I like showing you off." He added, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

When Asuna had calmed down for a moment, she noticed that many of the other students were exchanging chocolates, and the other couples were behaving much more affectionately than usual. Although some still chatted about how adorable she and Kazuto were, Asuna began to relax in his arms.

They paid no heed to the rest of the class until the teacher entered and Kazuto let her go.

"T-Talk to you at lunch." Asuna whispered quickly before darting to her seat.

* * *

At lunchtime, Asuna and Kazuto walked together to their favorite spot on the school campus, the bench outside by where the gardens would bloom in the spring.

Although it was chilly outside, they sat close enough to one another to keep comfortably warm; the chill actually served to keep most other students inside and gave them some alone time, even if they could be seen from the cafeteria.

As Kazuto got out his bento, Asuna fumbled with the pink box in her bag. _I-I just realized..._ She began to fret. _This is my first Valentine's Day when I actually have a Valentine! H-How am I supposed to do this exactly? D-Do I just give it to him out in the open? O-Or am I supposed to do it in secret or leave it in his shoe locker? No wait, that's what secret admirers do, s-so since we're actually dating I should just-_

"Asuna?"

"Y-Yes!" She squeaked instantly.

"What's gotten into you. Your face is all red. You're not sick, are you?" he asked. He leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together, causing her to stiffen. "You don't have a fever." He concluded as he sat back.

"O-Of course not!" She mumbled.

"Then what's wrong?"

Asuna truly believed that he was unaware of what was troubling her, but just then, she noticed the tiny smirk he had let slip.

"M-Meanie!" She accused. "You know what's wrong!" She puffed out her cheeks and glowered at him.

"Haha sorry, sorry." He laughed. "It's just too cute to see you act this way!"

"D-Don't make fun of me!" She cried before lowering her voice. "I...I've never done this before..."

"But I know how much effort you must have put into it." He said, and Asuna looked at him with a surprised expression. "I know you must have tried really hard, and it takes a lot of courage to give something you put your heart into to the person you like, even if we're dating." He placed one of his hands on top of hers. "I felt the same way at Christmas, even though I didn't exactly make the necklace entirely by myself. I know how tough it is, and it's probably twice as tough for you." He gave a lopsided grin.

"Y-Yeah..." Asuna agreed, bowing her head as the blush overcame her. "Since yesterday, I've had butterflies in my stomach just thinking about giving it to you, and while I was making it. And now I just feel so anxious, it's like the butterflies have turned into bees... I don't know why I'm still so... so shy about it..."

"It doesn't matter," he squeezed her hand tighter. "I have butterflies, too, and that just means we're so in love, even after all this time together, that we still can't control it." He knew it sounded cheesy, but it made sense to him.

Kazuto then reached forward with both arms to embrace her and Asuna left his present in her bag as she tentatively returned the hug. She closed her eyes and savored his warm, and gradually the tension in her stomach dispersed and her heart rate slowed.

Several moments later, they pulled apart. "Better?" he asked, and she nodded once with a smile.

"Then without further ado," Asuna picked up the pink box and placed it into his lap. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kirito-kun!"

"Thanks!" He replied, grinning as he carefully unraveled the ribbon and opened the box. "No way!" He exclaimed. "Cookies are my weakness."

"Even more than sandwiches?"

"Let's not get crazy."

The two of them laughed together as Kazuto thanked her again. They ate their lunches and he ate a few of the cookies, but saved most of them for later. "I get to brag to everyone that I got Asuna's homemade chocolate chip cookies." He mused.

"D-Don't do that too much..."

"I'll make an announcement on the loudspeaker."

"E-EH?!"

"I'm joking~"

"Ahhh, geez..." she sighed.

Once the remainder of classes were over, the couple walked home together through the melting snow.

"Thanks for today, Asuna." Kazuto drew her close as they stopped outside of her house. "I'll make sure to repay it three times over on White Day."

"Y-You don't have to do so much..." she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Too bad I've already got it planned out."

"Fine then." She smiled.

They kissed for a long moment before she headed to her house.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kirito-kun." She said one last time.

"Neh, Asuna." He called after her.

"Yes?" She turned back curiously.

"I love you." He gave a huge grin and Asuna's face turned red again before she replied.

"Love you, too."

* * *

**A/N: So the first half of this turned out to be more of a story of Asuna's relationship with her parents (somehow) so sorry about that, but it just happened. Hope you'll forgive me for the lack of Kazuto there!**

**Hope your Valentine's Day was decent if not great!**

**Please review!**


	15. Curse

**Bear with me on this one. There's fluff, I promise.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 15. Curse

"Ugh. This is the absolute worst. Why did it have to be _today_?"

Asuna moaned as she sat heavily down onto her bed. It had taken her twice as long to dress herself and freshen up this morning due to the persistently aching cramps in her stomach that sent extreme discomfort all the way from her legs to her shoulders. "It's Sunday and I'm going to see a movie with Kirito-kun today. Why is Mother Nature so cruel?"

She felt so uncomfortable that she could only wear a one-piece dress, because the elastic rims of her skirts or pants would be too painful.

She hunched forward and sluggishly slid on a pair of thigh-highs, thinking that was the next best thing to keep herself as warm as possible during the end of the winter season.

She skipped breakfast entirely due to her unnatural discomfort and simply sat in her room and attempted to mediate and breathe deeply until her cell phone alerted her that Kazuto had arrived to pick her up. She got to her feet and instantly groaned again.

"M-Maybe I should tell him I can't go today?" She debated as she slowly made her way down the stairs. "But then he'll just worry and insist on staying here to take care of me."

She stopped and gathered her coat and scarf before taking a deep breath and straightening her posture. She plastered on a smile as convincing as she could manage before opening the door. "Morning, Kirito-kun!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning!" Came the greeting, probably three times as happy as he usually was upon seeing her.

Dressed in his usual black jacket and Jeans, Kazuto's smile was blindingly bright again today, as it had been for the past few days; obviously he was still overjoyed about receiving her Valentine's Day cookies.

On top of all that, he just seemed to be in an overall good mood today. "I didn't get to see you yesterday because of my family dinner, so I missed you. C'mere!" He stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a big hug.

"Hhhnnn!" Asuna could not hold back the involuntary sound of pain that slipped past her lips when he applied pressure to her sore stomach and back. But thankfully, it had been quiet enough that either he had not heard, or thought nothing of it if he had, so she stiffly returned the embrace as best she could.

"Y-Yeah." She gasped. "I missed you yesterday, too, Kirito-kun. I'm so glad we can be together today." Although they were her honest and heartfelt feelings, the logical part of her brain was urging her to call the date off and just stay home. _But...I really do want to be with him today. Just one day away from someone you see every day feels like a week!_

Kazuto pulled away and Asuna immediately un-gritted her teeth. "I'm ready to go." She announced. "Just let me get my coat on." She made sure to leave the sash around her waist very loose, and Kazuto gently wrapped her scarf around her neck for her.

_Okay. I can do this!_ Asuna told herself as they started to walk.

The ground was sprinkled with late flurries and the breeze was chilled, but overall it was a nice day outside and the sun shown brightly. Kazuto's particularly peppy mood remained as they walked to the theater, and Asuna did her best to keep pace with him.

The aching in her thighs dispersed a bit as she continued to move more, and by the time they had reached the theater the pain had almost completely subsided, and she breathed a sigh of relief. They went in, Asuna denying Kazuto's offer of food or drink, and they took their seats.

The movie lasted for a little over 2 hours, and as each moment passed, the stiffness and pain returned to Asuna's legs, making her exceedingly uncomfortable the entire time. _Ugh! Damn this feminine curse!_ She kept fidgeting and shifting her weight every which way, but nothing seemed to work. Kazuto noticed about halfway through the movie and leaned over.

"Are you okay?" He whispered.

"Yeah, it's nothing." She replied, trying to suppress the aching.

When the movie finally ended, Asuna stood slowly and stretched, letting out a long breath she had seemed to be holding in for the past 2 hours.

"That was good!" Kazuto exclaimed and Asuna nodded. She managed to hold a conversation with him about the overall plot of the movie, even though the majority of her attention throughout the film had been on breathing normally.

As they exited the theater Asuna excused herself to the restroom, but even after washing her face for a moment, she did not feel much better. Kazuto was beginning to worry when she came out staggering. "Oy, what's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her back.

"It's just..." she muttered. "Well, you know..." her chestnut eyes flickered in every direction other than his onyx ones. Kazuto blushed a bit as he caught on.

"Oh. I see." He frowned. "Ah... is there anything I can do?" He wondered, feeling helpless.

"Not really," she chuckled lightly. "But thanks for the thought." She was truly flattered that he would offer to do something for her, even when it was borderline impossible.

"Do you want some medicine? What about food?" He asked as they walked down the sidewalk.

"No, medicine never works for me, and if I eat, I'll just get sick." She denied his offers. His expression changed to that of a totally helpless person, as if he could have done something to prevent her pain but failed to do so. Asuna blushed when she saw how concerned he was for her. "B-But it's okay! I've dealt with it before! Plus, it's only like this on the first day. I'll be fine again by tomorrow." She gave him a reassuring smile, which seemed to make him feel a bit better.

"Then I'll stay with you for as long as I can this evening." He decided. Asuna thought he looked almost guilty that he had let her suffer alone all these years and wanted to make amends as well as he could.

"Okay." Feeling extremely grateful for his thoughtfulness, she moved closer to him as they walked, and her right hand found his left.

When they arrived at her house, it was empty, as Asuna's parents were at a meetings for their workplaces. Kazuto and Asuna removed their shoes and coats before heading to the living room.

"You take it easy." He tapped her shoulder and had her sit on the couch. "I'll go make you some tea."

Asuna leaned her back against the cushion and nodded before closing her eyes exhaustedly.

Kazuto easily located the tea and cups in her kitchen and prepared it for her. When he entered the living room moments later, Asuna had fallen into a light sleep. Kazuto placed the teacups on a small table to cool and carefully sat beside her as not to disturb her.

He, too, closed his eyes for several moments until he assumed the tea had cooled off a bit. He decided he would give it one attempted to wake Asuna, and if she continued to sleep, then he would let her be.

"Asuna?" He took her hand which was in her lap and lightly squeezed it. Her eyelids slowly raised and she accidentally made a small sound that resembled a mewl. "Tea's ready. Do you want some?"

"Yes, thank you." She rubbed her eyes and sat up straight as he gave her a cup. She drank it slowly but surely, the warm liquid soothing her throbbing stomach. "That was delicious, Kirito-kun." She smiled, placing the empty cup back on the table.

"I'm glad." He grinned. "You look really tired." He noted how her eyes keep drooping. "Do you just want to take a nap? Or go to sleep really early?"

"I think I'll take a shower first." She decided.

"Okay." He nodded. "I-If you need anything, just call." He felt a bit awkward saying it, and Asuna knew he would normally be teasing her, but right now, she could tell her was being serious.

"R-Right."

She stood and made her way up the stairs to her room, and Kazuto watched her to make sure she made it safely to the top. He cleaned up the teacups, and half an hour later he heard the bathroom door open upstairs, so Kazuto went up to her room, as he had many times before.

Asuna was dressed in a long-sleeved, pink shirt and long pajama pants, her damp, chestnut hair slightly brown as it curled down her slim back. "Ah, I was just about to call you up." Asuna said when she saw him in her doorway. "Come in. I think I'm just going to go to bed, so let me say good night."

"Well at least dry your hair first." He chuckled.

"Ah. I forgot." She blinked.

"Stay here. I'll do it."

Kazuto went to fetch her hair dryer before returning to her room and plugging it in. He had her sit on her bed and climbed up to sit behind her, turning on the hair dryer and running his hands through her tresses. Asuna let out a blissful sigh at the warmth of the blasting air, and his hands danced over her back and shoulders.

Kazuto dried her hair for several moments before he noticed her swaying a bit and turned the hair dryer off and left it on her bedside table. "Asuna? How's that?" He wondered, but as he turned back to her, she lightly fell back onto his chest. "W-Whoa!"

Kazuto wrapped his arms around her waist and held her for a while, loosely locking his fingers around her stomach and resting his chin over her shoulder; she smelled of peaches and blossoms and the underlying scent that was unmistakably Asuna.

He allowed his eyes to close for a long while as he listened to her steady breathing, unaware of how much time was passing by. When he reopened his eyes, he was slightly shocked to find he had been holding her on her bed for almost half an hour and assumed her parents would be home soon.

Slowly, Kazuto began to move his legs toward the edge of the bed, intending to slip out from under her and lie her down quietly, but he accidentally ended up nudging her back with his knee and she mumbled a little and was roused from her sleep.

"Hmm... Kirito-kun, are you going home?" She looked back over her shoulder at him.

"Ah, yeah sorry." He said bashfully, getting to his feet. "Do you feel any better?"

"Oh, yes." She nodded. "I think the pain's gone for good now."

"You must be starving." He frowned.

"Mostly just tired." She yawned.

"Okay." Kazuto pulled the blankets down from her mattress and helped her slide beneath them. "How about I bring you lunch tomorrow?"

"Kirito-kun is going to make me lunch?" Her eyes widened slightly at the thought as she laid down and rested her head on her pillow.

"I'm sure my mom will insist on helping." He pulled the blankets up to her chest.

"That's exciting. I'm looking forward to it!" She closed her eyes and smiled, and Kazuto could tell she was just about to nod off. He caressed her cheek lovingly before he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good night, Asuna."

"Night, Kirito-kun..." she muttered with a smile, snuggling into her covers. "Tomorrow..."

"Huh? What was that?" Kazuto turned back to ask as he shut off her lamp. But when he looked at her bed, she was already fast asleep, breathing slowly.

"Ah well," he shrugged, flicking off the light. "Guess I'll find out tomorrow."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Next week, we get to see a... different side of Asuna.**

**Please review!**


	16. Another Side

**The side of Asuna I would have loved to see in the anime.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 16. Another Side

When Kazuto awoke the next morning, he quickly got dressed and freshened up before heading down to the kitchen.

His aunt was already awake and preparing coffee for herself, and Kazuto usually slept in for at least 20 more minutes, so she titled her head in confusion when she saw him.

"It's Monday, isn't it?" She quickly glanced at the calendar on the wall. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I'm making a lunch for Asuna today." He explained. "She wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I promised I would."

"Ah, I see." She simply nodded understandingly before returning to her coffee.

Kazuto prepared four sandwiches, two for each of them, and packed them away neatly. He had requested multiple times that Asuna teach him her secret to making her handmade ones taste so delectable, but she had never failed to refuse, since she wanted it to be special. But Kazuto knew his way around the basic ingredients and he found that his own sandwiches were not half bad.

He ate breakfast and headed out at his usual time with his schoolbag and the lunches to meet Asuna outside of her house where they would from there walk to school together.

Sitting on a bench on the sidewalk Kazuto waited patiently like he always did. Asuna usually emerged within five minutes of his arrival and was always punctual about it, so he had never waited any longer than seven minutes for her. But this morning, he checked his watch after ten minutes had passed and he was still alone.

"I guess she's running late?" He mumbled. But still, after another five minutes, the door remained closed.

Kazuto knew from experience that it was extremely awkward when he knocked on the door to ask for her and her cranky and tired mother answered, so he pushed the thought from his mind. He also did not want to call Asuna's cell phone in case she was resting.

When he had been waiting for twenty minutes, Kazuto stood and gave up. "I guess she was feeling really bad after all. I'll come visit after school." He decided.

He walked quickly to school and got to his classroom and was shocked to see Asuna in her seat. "Asuna!" He exclaimed in surprise. "You're already here? When did you slip past me?" He asked, walking over to her desk. Asuna sat with her chin in her palm and her head turned toward the window side. She did not turn her face to look at him, but instead shrugged.

"I left after I woke up. You were too slow."

Kazuto felt a small pang when he heard her uncaring tone.

"You... didn't wait for me?" He asked, the smile on his face drooping slightly.

"No." Was her only reply as she shifted one leg over the other.

"Ah, sorry. I guess I was a little late, wasn't I?" He chuckled uncomfortably. "But I did make you lunch like I promised!" There was a brief moment of silence before she mumbled, "Oh, fantastic." Kazuto wondered if she was rolling her eyes.

Feeling uncharacteristically disheartened, he said nothing more and sat down at his seat, placing the bentos inside his desk. As the teacher walked in, he glanced Asuna's way one more time, but she had not so much as even turned her head.

Throughout the lecture , Kazuto could not focus at all. At first he thought, _She must really not be feeling well. Maybe she's just really_ _tired?_ But then his worry amplified. _Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong? _

He was physically unable to even think she intended to break up with him. It was just unfathomable.

And it was just his luck that he would be called on for an answer but be so distracted about Asuna's behavior that he ended up making a fool of himself. All the while, Asuna never caught the glances he threw her.

When lunchtime finally arrived, Kazuto wondered if she would head to their usual spot. He was a bit relieved when she stood and headed to the door.

"Are you coming?" She asked him loudly.

"Y-Yes!" Kazuto quickly grabbed the bentos and rushed after her. When they sat down outside on the bench, Kazuto hesitantly presented her with her sandwiches.

"I hope they're okay."

"Yeah." She grunted.

He watched as she bit into the first sandwich but the expression on her face did not change at all. Kazuto slowly began to eat his own and was stunned when Asuna was already reaching for her second. He ate slowly as he watched her devour them both within minutes.

"Don't look at me like I'm some kind of wild animal!" She growled.

"N-No that's not it!" He stammered. "I-If you want, you can have my other one."

Asuna accepted his second sandwich and ate her third just as he himself was finishing.

"I'm going to go buy some water." She stated before standing up and heading off.

Kazuto watched her go, feeling confused and somewhat frightened. _I...Is this what happens to all girls when it's that time of the month?_ He shuddered involuntarily. _That is a force to be reckoned with_.

In the end, Asuna never came back to the bench, and when Kazuto returned to the classroom, he found her at her desk.

When the second half of classes was over, he tried to think of something to say to her, but never got the chance as she grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the bench outside.

"W-What is it?" He asked, flustered.

Asuna avoided his gaze entirely, and a chill ran through him.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was dull, almost hollow and she let go of his arm.

Kazuto wavered before taking a step back.

"So... that's it?" He mumbled. "You really are... breaking up with me?"

"...EH?!" After a flabbergasted stare, Asuna shrieked. "W-Wh-What are you talking about, idiot?!" In her passionate shout, he could tell she was back to her old self. But what surprised him most of all was the powerful punch she sent to his gut. Kazuto doubled over and fell to his knees at the unexpected blow. "Ah. Sorry." She apologized again.

After a moment, she helped him up and gently took his hand, leading him over to the bench to sit. "Are you okay?" She asked sheepishly.

"Are you still hungry?" He wondered, still holding his stomach. "Cause you might get to have my other sandwich."

"That's disgusting!" She cried, lashing out and accidentally slapping his face, making him fall over again. "Ah. Sorry."

Kazuto chuckled a bit as he got back onto the bench. "I guess my jokes aren't funny?" He muttered.

"No, it's not that. Well actually that one was pretty gross." She corrected. "But let me explain properly." Kazuto managed to straighten himself out and hear her story. "Sometimes, when I have-"

"Your period?" He cut in. Asuna smashed her heel into his shoe.

"Y-You idiot!" She shrieked. "Have you no delicacy?! I was trying not to say it so bluntly!"

"S-Sorry..." he wheezed, still chuckling a bit.

"Well anyway," she continued after calming down a little. "It's not always like this, but sometimes the pain is really bad on the first day, and when that happens I know that on the second day, I turn into a completely different person. My dad and brother say I'm worse than my mom on those days, and even she avoids me." Asuna chuckled, a little embarrassed. "But I just can't even control my personality. I say really mean things, I get super violent-"

"You eat like a cow." He added helpfully. Asuna jabbed her elbow into his gut.

"You do this to yourself, you know!" She shouted, huffing. "I-I can't really restrain myself right now. But usually, these things only last for a day and I return to normal by the next. It's really weird. I wanted to warn you yesterday, but I fell asleep."

"Ahh..." Kazuto recalled her mumbling as she lie down in bed. "So that's what you wanted to say."

"Yeah..." she trailed off into silence and bowed her head for a moment. "I'm really sorry about the way I behaved today. I'm not like this all the time, just a couple times. I know I was really mean to you and I made you feel bad, I even hit you so much..."

"Nah, I probably deserved at least one of those." He laughed. Asuna allowed herself a small smile.

"So can you forgive me?" She asked, her cheeks still red with embarrassment.

Kazuto grinned and embraced her. "Of course I can. This is just another side of you I get to love."

Asuna smiled and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Kirito-kun."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! (sorry for the abrupt ending but it's essential for next week's chapter!)**

**Please review!**


	17. Accepting

**This is basically a replay of last week's chapter but from Asuna's point of view, because there were some details I needed to touch upon. But there's a better ending ;3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online**

* * *

Chapter 17. Accepting

The next morning, Asuna awoke feeling fairly better than she had felt the day before.

She was lying in her bed exactly where Kazuto had left her the previous night, and when she drowsily opened her eyes, she wished he had still been there.

But then she suddenly remembered _why_ Kazuto had been at her house yesterday. _Oh no. That's right. Today's _that_ day... _She knew from experience this was one of the rare days when her personality would change drastically, and not for the better. In the past, she had found that even things she planned on saying in her mind did not usually come out correctly in her voice and would be sharp and sour. _I've got to do my best to fight against it today, no matter what! I can't bear the thought of having Kirito-kun see me like that. _

Pushing herself up slowly, she ignored the dull pains within her stomach and freshened up before changing into her uniform. She packed a bento for herself and headed out as soon as possible to wait for Kazuto. _W-Wait._ She suddenly halted in her tracks. _I can't risk it. I'm still kind of sleepy and I don't want to accidentally say something mean to him while we walk to school. Should I just go on ahead? I'm sure he won't wait long and he'll just go to school without me. _

Nodding to herself, Asuna headed off, forced to stop several times to due cramps. At last, she arrived at the classroom as the first person there and heavily took her seat, panting a little as she put down her bag and bento, resting her head in her hands as she leaned her elbows on the desk. _Okay, okay._ She thought. _I can do this. My thoughts are totally normal, so if I just speak carefully, I'll be fine._

Just as she resolved herself, several of her classmates entered and took their seats before chatting together. "Good morning, Yuuki-san." One girl greeted Asuna as usual.

Normally, Asuna would reply, but today, she felt it would be best not to say anything, just so she would not risk sounding mean or annoyed. Yet when she merely nodded and said nothing more to her classmate, the girl looked a bit sad as she turned away. _A-Ah, w-w-wait! I didn't mean to be rude!_ Asuna screamed internally, biting her lip.

She encountered the same problem with several other classmates, and by the end of it all, she felt utterly exhausted. _Uuuh, I just want to go home..._ She wailed inside her head.

Only a few minutes before class was scheduled to begin, she realized that Kazuto still had yet to arrive. _Oh no. He __didn't actually wait for me all that time, did he?_ Something told her it was exactly as she feared, and she turned her head away in shame of herself, gazing out the window to try and clear her head.

"Asuna!" She heard his voice and went stiff, still ashamed at herself for abandoning him without cause. "You're already here? When did you slip past me?" She heard him approaching her and took a deep breath before replying.

"I left after I woke up. You were too slow." Her eyes widened when her mouth seemed to speak without permission. _Wait, no! That's not what I wanted to say!_

"You... didn't wait for me?" Kazuto asked, and she could almost hear the smile fade from his face. A sudden cramp sent a pang through her stomach and she crossed one leg over the other to try and make herself more comfortable.

"No." She said, thinking it would be better to keep her responses as short and simple as possible. But then she realized it only sounded like she was annoyed with him. _Ah... No, wait-_

"Ah, sorry. I guess I was a little late, wasn't I?" As he continued to speak, Asuna determinedly tried to calm herself before she spoke thoughtlessly again and only made things worse. "But I did make you lunch like I promised!" Kazuto sounded happier again, which made her content as well.

But when her mind registered what he had just said she remembered he had promised to make her lunch for today, but she had brought her own anyway.

"Oh, fantastic." She muttered. _I'm such an idiot! How could I forget?_ Asuna's gaze flicked behind her to where Kazuto was standing, but found he had wordlessly left her and sat in his seat. _Oh no! That sounded like I was talking to him, didn't it? It sounded like I wasn't happy about his making me lunch at all! That's not it! Kirito-kun, please understand! _But he showed no signs of hearing her silent pleas and Asuna briefly knocked her knuckles against her forehead.

The teacher walked in then and class began. All the while, Asuna was aware of Kazuto trying to look her way, but her outer appearance must have appeared cold and expressionless to him. She could tell he was worrying about her, as when the teacher asked him a question she knew he knew the answer to, Kazuto messed up marvelously. _I'm sorry, Kirito-kun! I know it's because you're worrying about me!_

She continued to worry about him worrying about her until the lunch bell rang.

Asuna longed to go over to him and apologize profusely, but by now she knew better that to try and open her mouth, so she simply stood and headed out of the room, destined for the bench they always sat at together. She made sure to leave her own bento behind, as not to insult Kazuto if he found out she forgotten his offer to make her lunch.

_Okay I can say it. Just "Kirito-kun, let's go!"_ She practiced. But what came out instead was a rude-sounding, "Are you coming?"

"Y-Yes!" Despite her terrible manners, Asuna was relieved he still replied normally and followed her out.

They went outside to the bench and sat with about a foot of space in between them.

"I hope they're okay." Kazuto said as he handed her the sandwiches he had made.

"Yeah." _Yes! Maybe one-word replies are the best after all. Or just not saying anything at all is better than saying something rude that I don't mean. _

As she took her first bite, the flavors that exploded within her mouth were so delicious it was almost unreal, so much so that her expression froze into the unintentional scowl that was natural to her face on this day; unfortunately this gave Kazuto the wrong idea, thinking she did not like the food.

Asuna continued to eat though, her ravenous appetite kicking in after she had skipped breakfast and left behind her own lunch. As she devoured her second sandwich, she noticed Kazuto staring at her, a little dumbfounded.

"Don't look at me like I'm some kind of wild animal!" She said. But what she meant to be a joking, laughing tone ended up sounding angry.

"N-No that's not it!" Kazuto stammered as Asuna mentally yelled at herself even more. "I-If you want, you can have my other one." Kazuto kindly offered her his other sandwich, but Asuna's worse day refused to let her behave properly as she rudely took the third sandwich from him and tore into it.

"I'm going to go buy some water." She announced as she stood and then quickly ran off without looking back at him. Asuna left Kazuto and turned a corner so she was out of sight of him. "Gosh, I am so stupid! Why can't I behave normally? Why does this happen to me?! What kind of condition is this?! I'm terrible!" She cried aloud, clenching her fists and slamming them into the wall. "Even these violent streaks are so uncalled for! Why can't I control myself? Damn it!" Punching the wall again, she slid down to the ground and buried her face in her knees, breathing deeply to try and calm herself. "I'm sorry, Kirito-kun. I'll make it up to you. I'll straighten things out before today's over if it's the last thing I do."

Sniffing once, she stood again and headed back to the classroom, knowing she would not be able to bear seeing him again right now because she would just mess something up again.

Asuna purposely did not look up when Kazuto entered the classroom several moments later.

The afternoon classes flew by, and now that Asuna was resolved to set things straight, she immediately grabbed his sleeve and had him follow her right back to where they had been at lunchtime.

"W-What is it?" He asked, obviously flustered.

Asuna hated how rough she was being and that she could hardly control her own actions.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, glad that her words were finally obeying her.

"So... that's it?" Kazuto's voice sounded sad, helpless, and Asuna blinked in confusion. "You really are... breaking up with me?"

As the words left his mouth, Asuna swore her heart almost stopped.

Appalled, her mouth hung open, "...EH?!" She shrieked, much more loudly than she intended to. "W-Wh-What are you talking about, idiot?!" At that instance, she felt her mind break free and become under her control again. But it still seemed her body was not, as she threw out a glorious punch to his abdomen that she had no hopes of restraining. "Ah. Sorry." She apologized as her boyfriend crumpled. "Are you okay?"

"Are you still hungry?" He wheezed. "Cause you might get to have my other sandwich."

"That's disgusting!" She cried, lashing out and and accidentally slapping his face, making him fall over again. "Ah. Sorry." Kazuto chuckled a bit as he got back onto the bench.

At last, Asuna restrained herself and began her attempted justification of her thoughtless actions. "Let me explain properly. Sometimes, when I have-"

"Your period?" His blatant input was entirely uncalled for and she immediately sunk her heel into his shoe.

"Y-you idiot! Have you no delicacy?! I was trying not to say it so bluntly!"

"S-Sorry..."

"Well anyway," she continued. "It's not always like this, but sometimes the pain is really bad on the first day, and when that happens I know that on the second day, I turn into a completely different person. My dad and brother say I'm worse than my mom on those days, and even she avoids me." Asuna chuckled, a little embarrassed. "But I just can't even control my personality. I say really mean things, I get super violent-"

"You eat like a cow."

She jabbed him. "You do this to yourself, you know!" She shouted. "I-I can't really restrain myself right now. But usually, these things only last for a day, and I return to normal by the next. It's really weird. I wanted to warn you yesterday, but I fell asleep."

"Ahh... So that's what you wanted to say." Kazuto seemed to recall yesterday's incident.

"Yeah..." she hung her head in humiliation for a moment. "I'm really sorry about the way I behaved today. I'm not like this all the time, just a couple times. I know I was really mean to you and I made you feel bad, I even hit you so much..."

"Nah, I probably deserved at least one of those." He chuckled.

"So can you forgive me?" She blinked up at him, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. Kazuto smiled.

"Of course I can." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "This is just another side of you I get to love."

"Thank you, Kirito-kun." She whispered as she hugged him back.

Soon after, they returned to the classroom to gather their belongings. As Asuna picked up her own untouched bento, she got an idea.

"Neh, Kirito-kun. Let's go back there one last time."

The couple returned to the bench for a third time that day and settled down.

"What is it?" Kazuto wondered. The sun was beginning to sink and the gardens around them were dyed in gold.

"Well, to try and make up for the way I acted today..." she trailed off as she picked up her chopsticks, lifted a section of her rice and put it to his chin. "Aaahn."

Kazuto remained frozen for a moment, officially confirming that this was worth being hit so many times.

"A...Ahh." He opened his mouth and Asuna carefully fed him. The rice was still flavorful, and there was something about it that he could just tell Asuna had prepared it herself.

Asuna continued to feed him bit by bit and Kazuto savored every second of it until everything was finished.

"Here, you've got rice on your cheek." Asuna pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed his face clean, but not before kissing his cheek did she pull away. She then packed away the bento before folding her hands in her lap, still feeling ashamed at herself. "Kirito-kun, let me just clarify everything."

"It's okay." He soothed. "I understand that you weren't yourself. I'm not upset."

"E-Even so, this is just something I have to do." She declared. "Before, when you said you'd made me lunch... I was really happy. Super happy. But what I said in response to that was directed at myself for forgetting and making myself lunch. I wasn't saying that to you. And then all throughout class, I didn't look at you because I was too ashamed at myself because I knew you were worrying about me but I was just ignoring you. When I spoke to you, my mouth omitted words I planned to say in my mind, and I ended up sounding really unappreciative and rude. Then I ran off after lunch because I was so embarrassed at myself for eating so much and for being so curt with you. For everything I've done today, I'm sincerely sorry." She bowed her head to him and Kazuto was taken aback.

"N-No, not at all!" He waved his hands. "There's no need for you to lower your head. Plus, I finally figured everything out, so it's okay."

"But it's not." She growled. "I hate this side of myself."

"Well that's a shame," Kazuto slid closer to her. "Because now I know about it, I love this side of you."

She gasped softly as she looked up at him; he was grinning. "Don't you remember what I said? Finding out about the person you love's other sides just gives you more to love."

Asuna thought she felt warm tears swelling behind her eyelids, but she quickly closed her eyes and nodded vigorously to keep them back. "Right!" She smiled, raising her head. "And if Kirito-kun has any hidden sides, I'll accept and love those parts of you, too!"

"Why thank you." He dipped his head courteously.

As the sun began to set, the two of them stood and began walking home. Asuna coyly entwined her fingers with his.

"So..." Kazuto said casually. "Just to be sure, there aren't any other drastic changes that are going to befall you this week, are there?"

Asuna giggled. "Nope! Well, except for my psychopathic streak..."

"W-WHAT?!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

She swung their arms back and forth as they continued to walk and Kazuto let out a sigh of relief.

When they arrived at her house, Asuna reluctantly let go of his hand.

She then reached up to caress his face and leaned in to kiss him warmly.

"Thank you, Kirito-kun," she murmured. "For accepting this side of me, too."

Kazuto returned the kiss twice over.

"It's only natural." He replied. "Because I love you."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if it wasn't very interesting, but I've always wanted to try and write the same story from two different characters' point of views. Hope you liked it! Next week is White Day!**

**Please review!**


	18. White Day

**Thanks for all the kind reviews, as always! Keep suggesting ideas, I always need some! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 18. White Day

Kazuto woke up to warm sunlight bathing his face and blinked his eyes open slowly.

At last, it was the day he had been waiting for since Valentine's Day, the counterpart of the previous month's holiday. It was White Day, and although he had school, due to a teachers' meetings, it was a half day. Therefore, he planned to take Asuna out all evening in order to repay her actions on Valentine's Day.

He opened his window a little to feel the breeze, satisfied that it was fairly warm outside, perfect for what he had in mind for today's events. He freshened up, changed into his uniform, and ate breakfast in record timing before he began preparing a special bento; he and Asuna would not have lunch at school, and he had insisted on making it for them both.

As he was finishing up the sandwiches and packing the side dishes neatly into their sections, Suguha trekked down the stairs rubbing her eyes, her hair dishevled. "Morning, Onii-chan." She yawned. "Ah, is that for Asuna-san?" She regarded the food on the counter before him with an impressed expression.

"Morning, Sugu." He replied. "But why do you sound so incredulous? I'm not half bad at cooking, you know."

"I'll have to thank Asuna-san for that." She muttered. "The food you made only just recently started to have flavor."

"T-That's harsh." He grimaced. Suguha stuck her tongue out at him with a playful smile as she began preparing her own breakfast just as Kazuto had finished packing everything up. "Well, I'm off. Remind Mom I'll be home late this evening."

"Right. Have a good day!" Suguha called after him as he headed out the door, waving back at her.

Kazuto trotted down the sidewalk toward the Yuuki residence, feeling a little extra excited at the thought of the fun afternoon he had planned.

When he was still several yards away, he could see Asuna sitting on a bench outside her house where she waited for him every morning. She was holding something in front of her chest as she gazed into the air in front of her, and Kazuto paused in his tracks for a moment, capturing the gentle smile she wore on her face.

Asuna wore the heart-shaped necklace he had gotten her on Christmas every day since, and this would not be the first time he had caught her by herself, reading the message it projected in bright green letters before her eyes. She always got embarrassed if he caught her swooning over it, but Kazuto found it absolutely adorable whenever she closed it in a fluster and hid it back down her collar.

But this time, Kazuto made sure to give Asuna a fair warning that he was approaching so she could quickly fumble with the necklace to put it away. "Good morning, Asuna." He greeted as he reached her.

"Good morning, Kirito-kun." Asuna smiled like a blossoming flower as she straightened her posture.

Leaning down slightly, Kazuto brushed his palm against her cheek and kissed her as always, enticed by the fruity scent of fresh shampoo as well as the nostalgic fragrance of Asuna herself. Her breath was cool and crisp on the morning air and it soothed Kazuto to the core for a few seconds before he pulled away.

Asuna stood and dusted off her skirt, noting the fairly large bento box peeking from the top of his school bag. "I'm so excited!" Asuna gave a little jump. "What do you have in mind for this afternoon?"

"Sorry, but I'll have to make you suffer and wait to find out."

"Hmm fine." She grasped his free hand in hers as they began walking.

* * *

Sighs of relief and cheers went up throughout the classroom as the final bell rang at noon. The students bowed to their teacher before standing and gathering their things and promptly filing out into the hallway.

Kazuto met Asuna and eagerly took her hand before leading her outside.

"So where are we going?" She asked. "Can you at least tell me that much?"

"We'll be there in a few moments. It's nothing spectacular." He shrugged.

He led her to the local park where the two of them often went to have picnics, only this time it would be Kazuto's cooking they would be eating. Asuna gave a delighted little bounce as they walked across the soft grass; the park was not crowded at all, and so the couple got a beautiful spot by the blue pond all to themselves.

Putting down their school bags, Kazuto retrieved a small, folded blanket from one of the zippers and Asuna helped him lie it out. They settled down together and Kazuto presented the bento.

"Well, I hope you've built up your appetite." Kazuto grinned, unwrapping all kinds of side dishes, as well as riceballs and his own trademark sandwiches.

"Wow! You really went all out!" Asuna accepted the chopsticks he offered her.

"Of course." He nodded proudly. "And this is only the beginning. But for now, please just enjoy this."

"I'll do that." She beamed. "Thanks for the food." She sang before daintily popping a portion of rice into her mouth. "Mm, it's so good, Kirito-kun."

"I learn from the best."

"Oh, you."

The two continued to eat, Asuna particularly enjoying the handmade riceballs.

At one point, Kazuto leaned over and fed her with his own chopsticks, resulting her constant giggles.

"Ah, here. You have rice on your face." Kazuto leaned in and pecked her cheek to remove the grain, causing her to blush.

When they had finished with the majority of the food, Asuna sat back with a sigh.

"That was delicious, Kirito-kun."

"Still not half as good as your cooking." He shifted over to his bag and pulled out a small brown box, drawing Asuna's attention.

"What's that?" She wondered. Kazuto smirked as he opened the brown box, pulling out a stick of chocolate Pocky.

"You know this game, don't you?"

"E-Eh?" She turned red. "Here? In public?" She fretted.

"Asuna, there's no one else around for miles."

"I...I guess you're right..."

"I'll explain the rules." Kazuto began, holding the Pocky stick between two fingers. "We each eat from one end, but whoever lets go first loses."

"You're on." She leaned in closer as Kazuto placed one end of the Pocky in his mouth. Asuna bit carefully onto the other end and they slowly began to bite off of their respective ends.

Asuna hovered at her end of the stick at first, but slowly began moving forward. However, the proximity of their faces was too much for her, and the serious look in Kazuto's eyes added to her amusement and she ended up breaking the stick in half when she began giggling. "Ah, sorry, sorry. You just looked so intent, Kirito-kun."

"Okay. I win round one." He declared, reaching for another stick.

"Time to up my game, then." Asuna smirked as they bit onto opposite ends again. This time, Asuna gave a small tug on her end, causing an unsuspecting Kazuto to let go of his side before he knew what had happened. Asuna triumphantly munched on the entirety of the stick as Kazuto blinked at her, dumbfounded.

"That was a nice trick." He pulled out another stick of Pocky. "Fine. We're tied."

They went through three more sticks, the first two of which Asuna came out victorious. On the third one, Kazuto felt he was about to lose again and swiftly reached forward to poke her in the side. Asuna squealed as she let go of the Pocky. "W-What? That was definitely cheating, Kirito-kun."

"All's fair in love and war." He shrugged.

"So which is this?" She tilted her head to one side with a smirk.

"Both, of course." He reached into the box again. "Last one."

"I'm ahead by one, correct?" She checked.

"Right."

"That's fine then."

They both smiled as they slowly bit into their final stick of Pocky. They chewed slowly before reaching the middle when they closed their eyes, their lips finally meeting properly at the center. They shared a light kiss that tasted of chocolate and smiles before pulling apart.

"You win." He surrendered. "How about we go for a little walk around the pond?" He suggested, standing and pulling her up beside him. Asuna took his hand, ready to start walking, but Kazuto tugged her back. "Since it's White Day, why don't you ride on my shoulders?" He offered.

"E-Eh? Seriously?" Asuna could not hide the childish glee from her tone. She quickly checked to make sure no one else was around before she nodded eagerly.

Kazuto bent down as she carefully sat on his shoulders. "Kirito-kun," she said firmly. "I trust I don't need to tell you you're not allowed to turn around even if your life depends on it? In fact, your life depends on not looking."

"I understand."

Holding onto her legs that were smooth with the gray leggings of her uniform, Kazuto slowly stood and Asuna squeaked slightly, clutching onto his hair.

"Right then. Off we go." Leaving their picnic behind, Kazuto headed off around the pond, being mindful of the few trees along the way. Asuna ran her fingers through his hair as she gazed at the heightened view, occasionally reaching up to touch a newly-blossoming bud on a tree.

They made their way around the lake and ended up near their bags again, and Asuna felt a bit guilty.

"Thank you, Kirito-kun. This is enough." Without warning, she skillfully performed a familiar back flip to jump off his shoulders, quickly standing up beside him. "I haven't done that in real life since I was a baby. It was a lot of fun!" She smiled.

"I'm glad." He grinned. Asuna moved closer to him and briefly massaged his shoulders to show her appreciation. "You don't have to do that. You were light as a feather."

"Y-You're such a charmer." She mumbled from behind his back, and he could tell she was embarrassed by the way her fingers twitched slightly, making him chuckle.

Kazuto placed his hands atop hers for a moment before he turned around. Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her to the ground. She squeaked a giggle as she embraced him, and they rolled on top of one another a few times through the soft grass.

They were both chuckling lightly as they came to a stop, Kazuto lying on his back as Asuna looked down at him lovingly. She caressed his cheek with one hand before leaning down to kiss him gently. Kazuto locked his arms around her back to deepen the kiss, their stomachs pressing together.

Asuna pulled away with a blissful sigh before she turned her head to one side, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. Kazuto held her, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly as he, too, closed his eyes on the blue sky above, savoring the soft sensation of her warmth. The calming feel of her heartbeat and her quiet, rhythmic breathing caused him to slip into slumber for a time and Asuna, too, fell asleep in his arms.

The sun shifted slowly across the sky, shining its rays directly onto the pair to keep them warm in the cool air.

A while later, Kazuto blinked his eyes open and yawned, gazing dreamily up at the sky and then at the sleeping girl before him. He played with her hair for a while as she continued to sleep, gently smoothing out her uniform and dusting blades of grass off of her.

After a little while longer, Asuna stirred and made a small sound as she turned her face back to him, her sleepy, hazel gaze meeting his onyx one.

"Morning." He murmured.

"Morning." She replied with a small smile.

She kissed his cheek again before pushing her palms against the grass to get off of him. Kazuto turned onto his side and rolled her along with him so they were now facing one another. He kissed her cheek in return before sitting up, helping her up as well, and the two proceeded to clean grass out of one another's hair.

"Sorry it wasn't much." Kazuto said. "Nothing can ever repay your homemade cookies."

"Don't be silly." She poked his nose. "This was far more than enough. I haven't had so much fun and been so relaxed in ages. Thank you."

They closed their eyes and rested their foreheads together for a long moment.

At last, Kazuto wobbled to his feet and supported Asuna as she stood as well. They returned to their picnic and cleaned everything up before slinging their bags over their shoulders, their hands immediately intertwining.

They walked slowly, making sure to take their time as they walked home together.

Even after their delayed walking, they reached Asuna's house all too soon, it seemed. Placing their bags down on the bench in front of her house, Kazuto swiftly wrapped his arms around the small of her back and lifted her off her feet. She hugged his shoulders and laughed as he spun her once before letting her back down.

"Happy White Day, Asuna."

"Thank you, Kirito-kun."

They kissed one last time before Asuna spun around and trotted off toward her house, a taste much sweeter than chocolate remaining on her lips.

* * *

**A/N: I went all over the place with this one, but I hope you still liked it.  
**

**Please review!**


	19. The Little Things

**Forgive me for posting so late but I had sooo much to do today! Please enjoy!**

**(Also, when in-game, I refer to Kazuto as Kirito, just because it's his avatar's name).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 19. The Little Things

Asuna dodged to the left as Kirito lunged forward with his sword.

She parried beautifully and managed to get in a blow of her own to his right arm as she swiftly skirted around the attack.

It had felt like years since they had last sparred one another, let alone in their SAO avatars. They had grown so attached to their Alfheim avatars recently that Kirito had suggested a change back to their original forms for some training, and Asuna savored the all-too familiar feeling of being in her Knights of Blood uniform once more after so long. Kirito, too, truly looked most comfortable as a Black Swordsman rather than a Spriggan.

Though the two spent the majority of their time in-game together, they managed to train individually from time to time.

Asuna was eager to observe what new skills he had learned, and was surprised when he drew his second sword on her.

"Eh? Dual wielding so early in the match?" She asked, ducking as he swiped his blade horizontally. "You must have something up your sleeve, Kirito-kun."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He grunted as he blocked her rapier with both of his swords crossed over in an X before his face.

"I can tell you've been practicing a lot without me," she attempted a six-hit combo, landing only two blows on him. "But I've been improving behind your back as well."

He could see the smug smirk on her lips as she dodged yet again, and made the mistake he so often made of letting himself be momentarily captivated by her graceful beauty. Asuna took advantage of that split second of weakness in his defense and slipped her rapier between the handles of his swords and reached him, lowering his HP almost to the yellow zone.

Their rules in mock battles were that nothing was off limits, but their strongest attacks could not be used to bring the other's HP to the red zone; once someone's bar hit yellow, the match was decided.

But so far, both Kirito and Asuna's Health teetered on the edge of the green zone, as both were so highly skilled with their own styles of attacking and defending that they could parry swords for up to an hour. More than once, the winner had been decided solely on how physically and mentally exhausted one of them was.

Kirito recoiled for a spilt second as the force of Asuna's blow pushed him back a step, but instantly leapt to one side as she came around from behind him, executing a marvelous spinning attack that surely would have finished him off had he not evaded seconds earlier.

Her second of surprise spelled her defeat as Kirito moved his sword reflexively, not even realizing what his body was doing until he had struck. His sword connected with her shoulder blade and swung up over her back, grazing her face at an upward-diagonal angle.

Asuna yelped in surprise, but then pouted as she fell backward and realized what had happened. Her HP hit the yellow zone, and the match ended as she stumbled to regain her balance.

"Ahh..." she sighed. "I was really confident about that move, too." Sheathing her rapier, she flipped her long, disheveled chestnut hair over her shoulder. "Great finishing move, Kirito-kun!" She smiled at him as he put away his blades.

"Are you kidding?" He chuckled. "That was an accident. I just got lucky." He walked over to her and brushed the back of his hand against her injured cheek. "Sorry about that." He kissed her lightly and she fidgeted. "You really managed that combo beautifully." He added.

"And your blocking has gotten a lot better." She replied. "As if it wasn't good enough already!"

Just then, a familiar voice piped up, accompanied by an angelic voice.

"Mama! Papa!" Yui ran over to them as they turned in her direction and only barely managed to prevent themselves from being bowled over by her fierce hug. "That was such an exciting match! You're definitely the top 2 players in all of SAO and ALO, too!"

"It's because we're supported by the best daughter!" Asuna replied, affectionately kissing the girl's cheek.

"That's right!" Kirito ruffled her hair gently. "By the way, weren't you playing with your friends earlier? Are you done already?"

"Yes!" She beamed. "We played hide-and-seek, and when I was the finder, I won quicker than anyone else!"

"That's my girl!" Kirito said in a slightly deeper tone than his usual one, the tone that Asuna liked to refer to as his Papa Tone.

"I bet you're tired, right?" Asuna guessed, tucking a frazzled strand of hair behind Yui's ear. "Mama and Papa are pretty worn out, too. Let's head home, shall we?" They all nodded as they began the walk back through the forest from the clearing they had been training in.

They often stayed on the 22nd floor, not for the convenience of the closeness of their residence, but also because it was easy to access a portal that brought them near the orphanage on the 1st floor where Yui had made so many good friends.

They changed into their casual attire when the reached home, Asuna in her pink nightgown and Kirito in his black t-shirt and pants, but Yui kept on her favorite snow-white dress.

"As promised," Asuna announced. "Since I lost the match today, I will make Kirito-kun's favorite food for dinner tonight."

"Yes!" Kirito gave a small cheer like a little kid as he took his seat beside Yui at the table. Then he sighed. "I wish I could eat your real cooking, though."

"It's Tuesday night so it can't be helped." She chided playfully. "I bet you've already eaten anyway, right? And then rushed to finish all of your homework and then log on."

"Don't remind me." He moaned. "Those science problems were impossible..."

"I'll make your bento extra special tomorrow as a reward." She decided as she quickly combined all of the ingredients for dinner.

"Your Mama really is the best." He murmured to a giggling Yui, just loud enough for Asuna to hear.

They ate together, Kirito having to restrain himself from actually wolfing down his sandwiches.

A long yawn from Yui alerted both of them to the girl who was swaying slightly in her chair.

"Hey now, don't fall asleep at the table." Asuna smiled as she put away her dishes.

"Let's get you to bed." Kirito stood and lifted Yui into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom as Asuna followed behind.

Although there were two beds in the room, Kirito, Asuna, and Yui usually slept together in one. But due to real life hassles such as school and homework, Kirito and Asuna usually had to log off early and they did not often get the chance to stay with Yui.

"I always hate leaving her alone." Asuna often mumbled.

"I know," he sighed regrettably. "Me, too."

They had discovered that Yui usually "fell asleep" within 5 minutes of lying down on a bed or couch, and she would not awaken until 7AM, the system's designated time for the "morning" setting. Within that time she could not awaken unless specifically called upon by either Kirito or Asuna themselves.

As Kirito presently laid her down, Yui made a small sound.

"I'm not sleepy yet, Papa..." she mumbled, blinking her clear, black eyes back open.

"You've been playing all day, haven't you?" He recalled. "Resting is important."

"Here, I have an idea." Asuna stepped in as Yui sat up on the bed. Going into her inventory, Asuna took out a common hairbrush from her Items. "Your hair's all ruffled, Yui-chan. Let Mama fix it up."

Asuna climbed onto the bed behind Yui and gently gathered her daughter's soft, ebony hair, combing through it with her fingers gently before applying the brush.

Surprisingly, Asuna had never thought to engage in such a motherly act with Yui before, and she felt guilty that she had let Yui miss so many opportunities to truly feel like their child. _We have to be even more like a family._ Asuna thought. _So even all the little things are extremely important._

Yui made small, content, whimpering sounds as Asuna gently pulled the brush through her long hair. Kirito watched fondly as Yui's eyelashes fluttered, a smile on her face as she struggled to stay awake through the calming feeling.

Asuna continued to brush Yui's hair for a few moments, carefully stroking her back as she ran her fingers through her tresses to smooth it out. "There." She said at last, and the brush vanished into the inventory.

Just as Asuna had finished, Yui slumped forward and Kirito swiftly caught her.

"Wow." He chuckled when he saw the blissful smile on Yui's lips. "You must be really good at that!" He praised Asuna in a quiet whisper, to which she grinned.

"Let's sleep here for a while tonight." Asuna suggested as Kirito lie Yui down again.

"I was thinking the same thing." He agreed.

They got under the blankets on either side of Yui before Kirito shut off the lights on his menu bar.

Lightly embracing Yui from either side, the two of them kissed her once each on her cheeks. Asuna propped herself up on one elbow as she faced their daughter, gently caressing her bangs with her white fingertips. Yui stirred, probably on the verge of falling asleep entirely.

"Papa... Mama..." she mumbled dreamily without opening her eyes. "Thank you..."

Kirito smiled as he kissed her cheek again before carefully leaning over Yui to share a brief kiss with Asuna. He laid on his side and watched his beautiful wife as she fondly tended to their daughter.

But at one point, he thought he noticed a frown on her lips and he spoke up.

"Asuna? What's wrong?" he whispered.

Apparently, she had not been aware of her expression, as Asuna quickly covered up with a small smile.

"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking about stupid things..." she reassured.

"You know you can talk to me about it." He said seriously. "Nothing's 'stupid' if it's making you worry."

"No, I'm really okay."

"I didn't ask if you were." He responded, his concern growing.

"I didn't mean it like that." She seemed to be dodging. "A-Anyway, Yui-chan's asleep now, so I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll remember to make you a nice bento." She beamed. "Good night, Kirito-kun."

She waved her hand and called out the Menu bar before logging out.

Kirito patted Yui's head one last time before logging out as well, waking up in his own room with the nagging feeling that something was wrong with Asuna.

"I've got to ask her about it tomorrow." He decided, removing the updated Nerve Gear from his head. "Even all the little things are extremely important."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for waiting for the update! ****I've gotten a lot of requests recently for Yui to come in again, as well as requests for more serious scenes between Kazuto and Asuna, so I'm doing my best to incorporate the two.**  


**Please review!**


	20. Together

**Well in order to try and please everyone's requests, I'm continuing with the more serious parts of this little arc, but I should be back to the lighthearted chapters soon! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 20. Together

When Kazuto arrived at Asuna's house the following day to walk to school together, he debated asking her straight-up what had been bothering her the previous evening.

But her beaming smile and energetic greeting that seemed almost out of character persuaded him to forget about the matter for the time being. "Good morning, Kirito-kun!" She bowed slightly before taking off down the sidewalk without another word.

Instantly, Kazuto's overreactive thoughts shot off. _Not even a greeting kiss? She's definitely weird. Did I say something wrong last night? _

As he followed her to school and sat with her during the first half of classes, she seemed alright.

However, at lunchtime she sulked up to him with her head hanging. "I'm sorry, Kirito-kun." She said in dismay. "Even though I promised you yesterday I'd make you lunch, I completely forgot. But you can share mine, okay?" She tugged at his sleeve to lead him out of the classroom.

"Really?" He ended up sounding more shocked than he felt. "That's unusual." He mumbled.

"I know. I don't usually forget things like this. I guess I was just tired last night."

Given that the topic had brought itself up, Kazuto began to muster up the words to ask her what was troubling her lately. But just before he could form the words into a question, Asuna cut him off, almost as if she knew what his intentions were.

"But like I said, you can just share mine, okay?" She turned and kept walking down the hallway, making for the exit to the courtyard.

"Right..." Kazuto followed glumly as the opportunity slipped through his fingers.

As they sat on their favorite bench together, Asuna opened her bento and took a bite of rice and some vegetables before she offered Kazuto her chopsticks. He found it odd that she would do that, assuming that, despite her chagrin at being seen in public displays of affection with him at school, she would have offered to feed him.

Kazuto blushed a bit as he thought about it, but accepted the chopsticks nonetheless. He ate a small portion of her food. "It's great!" He complimented, offering the chopsticks back. But Asuna was staring blankly ahead of her and appeared not to have heard him. "Asuna?" He poked her cheek with one end of the chopsticks.

"E-Eh?" She snapped back to herself and turned to face him. "What was that? Sorry, I was spacing out."

"I noticed." He replied, somewhat sternly. Asuna flinched slightly when she realized she had cornered herself. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's nothing-"

"Like I said before, if it's making you worry, it's not 'nothing'." He then softened his voice, but made sure to keep the serious intent within his tone. "Talk to me properly. That's why I'm here."

Asuna fidgeted and opened and closed her mouth several times, as though she were debating speaking up. She then let out a long sigh.

"Not here." She said quietly.

"Why not?" He challenged. "I don't care if everyone can see us. If I can help you with something, I need to know what it is first. To hell with what everyone else thinks."

"It's not that." She clammed up for a second and paused, lowering her gaze. "It's... it's kind of an important matter, I guess. I don't think there's enough time to talk about it now."

"Then when?" He asked.

"Tonight?" She suggested, sounding unsure herself.

"In-game?" He clarified and she nodded. "I'd rather talk to you personally."

"Yeah, I guess that would be best." She agreed. "It's about Yui, after all."

"Yui?" Kazuto repeated.

Usually, Asuna would talk fondly of their daughter to Kazuto, sometimes getting so excited he wondered if other people sometimes thought they actually had a child together. Other players in ALO would regard them skeptically, thinking it odd that two players should treat an AI so intimately.

But the fact that Yui was an AI was pretty much lost to Kazuto and Asuna, and had been long ago; to them she was truly their daughter, and to Yui, they were truly her parents. And so that was what they were.

He opened his mouth to give her a reply, but the warning bell rang and his words were lost.

"Then," Asuna quickly tried to think of somewhere they could talk. "How about my house? If you come right after school, my parents shouldn't be home for at least 3 more hours."

"Alright. We'll go directly after class." He decided.

* * *

Kazuto and Asuna walked side by side toward the Yuuki residence after school.

When they arrived, they removed their shoes and left their school bags on the living room couch as Asuna made them some tea. When it was finished, she lifted a tea cup in each hands and motioned for him to follow her.

They went outside onto her porch which overlooked a stretch of grass before leading into a small wooded area. They sat together on the cushioned couch on the porch and placed their teacups on a small wooden table before them to cool. Asuna sighed again heavily.

"It's really a foolish thing to be fretting over," she admitted. "I don't know why it's bothering me so much."

"It's okay." He placed a hand on hers in her lap. "I don't care how trivial it may be." His reassuring words caused Asuna to smile briefly. "So what's this about Yui?" He wondered.

Asuna clammed up again, struggling to arrange her thoughts into words.

"It's just..." her hand clenched into a fist beneath his. "I think she's... too advanced." She said at last. Kazuto's puzzled look urged her to continue. "What I mean is... whenever she's playing games with other kids and younger players... she's different than them. As she was telling us last night, when they play hide-and-seek, she always finds the other children so quickly and easily, and that's probably due to her advantages with the gaming system."

Here, Asuna paused again and looked down, rearranging her thoughts. "I guess... ever since she said that, it's been making me think: what if the other kids won't like her anymore because of her abilities? They're humans with lives in this world, and humans can only bear a person who's better than ourselves at something for so long before we snap. Yui doesn't... know what it's like to have a life in this world. She doesn't know some characteristics of humans. I just don't want her to end up excluded. I want her to experience a normal youth, but the thing is, she's trapped forever unable to age, and she'll have to watch her friends grow older with time and then start everything over again. How long will it be before she breaks?"

She finished with a tremble in her voice.

Kazuto's eyes were wide with shock.

He knew Asuna hated referring to Yui as an Artificial Intelligence, he did, too, because to them Yui was real. She existed in that world even if not in this one, and that was all they needed to know.

But Kazuto had never thought so deeply about the matter before. What Asuna was feeling was equivalent to the worry of a parent with a prodigy child and the hardships they faced for being different. Human children could grow to be cruel, and the last thing any parent wanted was for their child to be excluded for being a little more different than anyone else's child, whether they were ahead or behind.

Kazuto had never dwelled on the topic of Yui's aging process either. Other players would age and likely alter their avatars with time. Of course Yui could fight alongside them when they left their child's games for the true challenges and battles of the game, but what was after that?

Asuna continued his thoughts.

"What are we supposed to do? What happens...when we play less and less, and then eventually stop altogether? What happens when this world's importance consumes that one's? What happens to her then? What happens to Yui without her Mama and Papa?"

Asuna began sobbing softly, and Kazuto gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I can't bear the thought... of her having to find and become someone else's daughter... She's _our_ daughter..." Asuna's voice broke as she succumbed to her tears.

Kazuto's eyes watered as well with the weight of everything she had just told him. For her to have been carrying such a burden on her heart, and for him to be able to do nothing but hold her... he was so frustrated with himself that a tear fell from his eye. _I'm supposed to be able to help her! I should be able to say something to make it okay... But I can't._

He never could have imagined the extent to which Asuna cared for Yui. Her greatest fear would be that one day someone, be it her parents or school or employer, would tell her she needed to stop playing altogether, that Yui was not her daughter but an AI who was created, not born, and who had no real emotions or significance within Asuna's life.

He knew her thoughts must have taken her further down that path as well: what would happen to Yui if Kazuto and Asuna decided to start a family one day? What if they had children? What would the never-aging Yui be to them then?

Not wanting to think about it, Kazuto shoved the thought away and tightened his embrace on Asuna.

"I'm sorry." He muttered miserably. "I don't know what I can say. I don't want to think about it either, but at some point, I'm going to have to. All I can do right now is avoid it and hope it never comes to that..."

"No... I'm sorry..." she slowly raised her head but refused to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry I... brought this up. I didn't want to make you worry... to think about such things..."

"Don't think like that. You're supposed to talk to me about anything that's troubling you." He repeated. "But I'm supposed to be able to say something to make it better. I just... I can't do that..." he trailed off shamefully. "I don't know what to say. But I don't want you to feel hurt inside every time you see Yui from now on. I wish I could tell you everything will work out... but I can't be sure myself. I don't want to say empty words to you. All I can think to say is, we'll deal with it when the time comes."

He embraced her again and this time felt her arms hug his back. Then she shook her head.

"No... it's okay. I threw all of this at you out of nowhere and made you feel so sad by mentioning it..." She inhaled a shaky breath before continuing. "But I promise I'll talk to you properly about everything from now on. You have to make the same promise too, okay Kirito-kun?"

"Right." He nodded. "I promise."

"I don't know what to do about Yui-chan either." Asuna admitted. "But thank you for what you said. I don't think we should... worry about it now, although I hope that, at that time, we'll have discovered a solution..."

"And we'll have grown a bit stronger to be able to not come to regret it." Kazuto finished her thought and she nodded. "I don't think you should play tonight." He informed her as they pulled apart a bit. "I'll log on briefly to see Yui and tell her you won't be there this evening. You just rest."

"Okay." She agreed fairly easily. "I don't know what I would do if I saw Yui-chan's face right now..."

"I'm sorry there's nothing I can do." He repeated. "I should be able to help you, but in this case, all I can do is be uncertain with you..."

"And that's more than enough." She said firmly. "Being uncertain with you is one thousand times better than being uncertain by myself." Her hazel eyes glimmered affectionately up at him in the fading sunlight. "That's why we're together. When we're both certain about something, we'll be happy together. When one of us is uncertain about something, the other will help them to feel better. When both of us are uncertain about something, we'll be sad together for a while. That's how it should be. Neither of us should ever be sad alone."

Her words overwhelmed him and at first, Kazuto fought to restrain his tears. But with her knowing smile, Asuna reached up to touch his cheek and the tears overflowed as he bowed his head to her shoulder. _Again..._ he thought. _Again... I'm reminded of just how much stronger she is than me... _

He felt Asuna continue to stroke his hair and bury her face in his neck to suppress her sobs.

The evening breeze was warm and refreshing as the sky turned from golden-orange to dark pink.

When the final tear had been shed at last, they leaned back together, Asuna leaning against his arm as they stared out over the distant horizon as their untouched teacups steamed forlornly.

They sat there for a while longer in silence, closing their eyes and breathing deeply, trying to clear their minds of troubles.

Eventually, Asuna straightened up with a tiny yawn and Kazuto gave a small smile.

"You should go rest." He suggested. "I'll go see Yui." They stood and gathered their teacups, bringing them back into the house. "And if you want to talk to me, even if it's just a little bit, even if it's in the middle of the night, just call me, okay?"

"I will." She nodded, setting her cup down on the kitchen counter and grasping his hand. "And the same goes to you. Thank you, Kirito-kun."

"We'll figure something out." He said seriously. "Together."

"Yes." She agreed, trying not to think doubtful thoughts. "Tell Yui-chan I love her."

"Of course." Kazuto leaned down to kiss her softly. "Good night."

"See you tomorrow." The pressure that had previously been weighing down on her chest had dissolved now as she walked him to the door.

Although she still had no direct answer, she felt a small wave of relief wash over her.

_That's right._ She thought. _No matter what we'll have to face in the future, we'll face it together._

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter strayed off the path the usual, fun path, but talking out such matters are essential in any relationship, right? Honestly, this was the only resolution I could think of, so I hope you can accept it. I'll tone down the seriousness next week!**

**Please review!**


	21. Proud

**Thanks so much for all the kind reviews last week! And thanks to all my anons/guests, too! I wish I could reply to your ****reviews!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 21. Proud

As Kazuto logged on that night, he put himself in his Spriggan form and opened his eyes to the forests of Alfheim.

He knew he would only have to wait about a minute before Yui would sense his presence and fly to him from wherever she was in the game.

He called out his wings and hovered into the air, looking up above the trees at the glowing lights of the distant cities. He witnessed several battles taking place from afar, but stopped himself from interjecting, as he had a different objective tonight.

"Papa!" Her voice called out from behind him and Kirito turned in midair as Yui flitted up to him in her pixie form. "You're late tonight. Did something happen?" Her ability to sense his emotions was stunning as her smile instantly faded into a little frown. "You don't seem happy like you normally do, Papa. Is it because Mama's not here yet?"

Kirito could not help but grin a little at that comment. "That's probably part of the reason," he admitted. "But Mama won't be coming tonight."

"Eh? Why not?" Yui hovered in front of his nose, her black hair flowing out behind her in a tiny stream. "Is she okay?"

"She just needs some rest." He replied. "I won't be staying long anyway. I just came to see you for a little while."

"Okay." She sounded a little sad that Asuna would be absent, but immediately perked up again. "In that case, if you're not training or fighting tonight, can we go home?"

It was rare for her to request something, so Kirito nodded almost instantly. "Of course."

Yui gave a little midair bounce before darting into his breast-pocket.

Kirito took off for the new Aincrad castle, and after a series of transports made it to the 22nd floor. He entered their wooden home before landing and dissolving his wings as Yui hopped out of his pocket, landing on the floor as a normal-sized girl.

Despite his intentions to leave before long, Kirito decided to wait just a bit longer. "Let me make you something to eat." He offered.

Yui followed him to the kitchen as he called out the ingredients and she eagerly bounced up and down at his shoulder to see what he was making.

As he was going about the kitchen, Kirito found himself in a reverie of memories: when they first saw Aincrad's new form merging with the World Tree, when they (mainly Asuna) had defeated the 21st floor boss and soared up to purchase the house, when they had had a party with all of their friends there, and when Asuna had cried for the rest of the evening because she was so happy.

His thoughts went off. _I wonder where we would be if Aincrad never made it to ALO..._

"Papa!" Yui's voice pulled him from his daze as he realized he had been chopping a loaf of bread for so long it was starting to disintegrate.

"Ah. Oops." He watched in dismay as it disappeared completely.

"Silly Papa." Yui scolded playfully. "What were you thinking about?" Her voice then shrunk a bit. "I could tell you were really happy. Happier than when you got here today."

"It's nothing." He laughed. "Here, I'll do it right this time." At last he managed to make a decent sandwich and handed it to Yui who munched on it thoughtfully.

"It's really good!" She beamed.

"Not as good as Mama's though, I bet."

"You're getting better! Did your cooking skill improve at all?"

"Not that much..." He said, a bit sheepishly.

Yui happily finished her meal, and almost immediately after let out a yawn. "Tired already?" He chuckled. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Kirito took her hand and led her into the bedroom. She climbed wearily onto the covers as Kirito pulled them up for her and tucked her in before removing his boots and battle clothes until he was just in sleepwear and sliding under on the other side.

"I still think Papa's hair looks really funny." Yui reached up and poked his spiky Spriggan hair.

"Don't start teasing me like Mama, now." He pouted and she giggled.

A moment of silence passed, but still Yui did not close her eyes.

"Neh, Papa? Mama seemed sad yesterday. I'm not really sure how, but I could tell that her smile wasn't real. Was she lying?" Curious, innocent black irises gazed up at him in the pale lighting.

"Maybe." He sighed, cursing his luck that his daughter was so perceptive. "She was thinking about a lot of things."

"Like what?" Yui nestled in closer. "I want to know what's wrong whenever Mama and Papa are sad because I want to help." The familiar seriousness in her eyes reminded him that she really was Asuna's daughter. "You'll always be my Mama and Papa, no matter what!" She declared.

Kirito gritted his teeth a bit as he tried to refrain from crying as Asuna's worries resurfaced in his mind. But then, he shoved them all away and cleared his throat.

"What do you mean by always?" He asked slowly, carefully.

"Mm?" She tilted her head to one side. "Well, I know Mama and Papa have other lives in that other world, so you won't always be here with me," as she spoke Kirito felt his eyes widen. "But that doesn't mean I'll go away. I'll always be here for Mama and Papa. I'll become a good guide to the other players of the game so they can have a really fun time! I want you to be proud of me!" She declared this with such passion that a tear rolled down his cheek. "Eh? Papa? What's wrong?" She asked reaching forward, tentatively touching his cheek.

"I'm really an idiot." He mumbled, a smile on his lips. "How could I ever let Asuna worry about something like this? Of course Yui will always be here." He then looked up into Yui's black eyes so like his own, shimmering with concern. "We're already so proud of you, Yui." He stated, moving in closer to pat her head. "You're the best child anyone could ever have."

The last tear sparkled as it ran down his cheek, and Yui stared in confusion for a moment before she smiled, too.

"That's because..." A tear fell from Yui's eye as well, though she did not fully understand why. "I have the best Mama and Papa ever."

Kirito chuckled as he continued to ruffle her hair and she poked his spikes in return. _And I'm reminded again of just how much stronger these ladies are than me._ He thought.

Suddenly, there was a familiar whirring sound in the room and Kirito and Yui looked up in surprise, Kirito flipping onto his other side so he faced the center of the room. A few seconds later, a beautiful girl with flowing, blue hair stood before them.

"Mama!"

"Asuna?"

"K-Kirito-kun?"

As her parents stared at one another as if they were strangers, Yui immediately hopped over Kirito, bounced once, and then launched herself from the bed into Asuna's arms.

"Mama!" She cried again. "I thought you weren't coming tonight!"

"Same here." Kirito got up from the bed, his expression soft yet stern. "I told you to get some rest."

Here, she stood in the dimly-lit room with her skin as smooth and white as always, but he would bet that at home her cheeks were red and damp.

"I...I know..." she sighed, defeated. "I thought you would have logged out by now and I just wanted to..." she let her arms finish her words for her as she hugged Yui tighter.

Kirito sighed as well, but then scratched the back of his head. "I get it. I couldn't stay away either." He took a step closer to her but stopped when her smile disappeared.

Her cerulean eyes gazed distraughtly over Yui's head into his, and it was obvious she had continued to worry even after he had left, enough to bring her here.

Yui still giggled in joy as she nestled into Asuna's chest, so Kirito did not want to speak and make her curious as to what he and Asuna had been discussing.

Instead, he met Asuna's gaze with his own serious eyes before he smiled. Asuna's eyes widened and flashed with the watery light of oncoming tears, and in that instant, he knew she understood.

There was no reason to worry about Yui.

She would always be there, she would always be their daughter, and they would always be proud of her.

His eyes told her that he would explain to her in words some other time, and Asuna nodded, letting a tear fall onto Yui's hair.

"Eh?" Yui lifted her head. "Now Mama's crying, too?" She wailed, flustered as she reached up with her small hand to wipe Asuna's cheek.

"Too?" Asuna gave a small smile at Kirito who blushed and looked away. "It's okay, Yui-chan. Everything's fine now."

At last Kirito stepped forward and embraced them both, as he had done many times before. He and Asuna wiped each other's tears with one hand as they pulled closer together with the other. Yui managed to turn around to face Kirito and squeeze his torso before turning back to Asuna and doing the same.

Kirito and Asuna then shared a glance as they silently decided to stay for a while longer, and Asuna quickly exchanged her Undine outfit for a long, blue nightgown that highlighted her hair.

Then, they lifted Yui together, each with one hand under her shoulders and the other under her knees. She squealed with delight as they carried her over to the bed, Asuna climbing over the mattress to stand on the other side of it.

"Ready, and-!"

Kirito and Asuna chanted together before they both jumped into the air with Yui between them, hovering for a split second before they all landed on the bed together, laughing and smiling.

Asuna kissed Yui's forehead as the girl cuddled into her collarbone, and Kirito moved closer to lie his arm across his daughter and pull Asuna in. He leaned over to kiss them both before he flopped back down onto his side.

They laid there for a long while, laughing and exchanging kisses and ruffling hair.

"We're so proud of you, Yui-chan." Asuna breathed.

"And we always will be." Kirito added.

"And I'm really proud that you're my Mama and Papa!" Yui replied.

At last, she closed her eyes with each of her parents holding one of her hands.

Kirito and Asuna blinked at one another, silently deciding to sleep there a little tonight, knowing that Yui would still be waiting for them tomorrow, and every day after that.

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**A/N: I hope this was a proper conclusion to this part!**

**Please review!**


	22. Laughter

**I'm glad almost everyone accepted the conclusion to that last arc. As always, thanks to all my reviewers and supporters, and that goes to all my anon/guests as well (even though I can't reply to your reviews, please know I still receive and greatly appreciate them!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 22. Laughter

Kirito stopped flying and sighed as a beam of sunlight hit his wings and face as he floated.

He remembered when he had woken up that morning it had been a miserable, rainy Saturday that made him feel like going back to sleep. He remembered cursing the weather for only being nicest on school days and moved sluggishly about the house to get his breakfast.

He then logged on to ALO to a much more wonderful setting: clear skies, warm sunlight, and another thing his house in real life was void of all too often; Asuna.

She flitted about the trees with him, her long, mist-blue hair swaying in the wind. "We really are fortunate that we can escape to Alfheim's beautiful weather settings on days like these." She commented as she hovered up beside him.

"That's for sure." He agreed. "There aren't many rainy days, and even fewer stormy settings, but today seems a bit extra windy." He noticed how their wings were being buffeted and they had to put in a little extra effort in order to remain steadily floating.

"It's way too windy!" Yui piped in as she popped up from his breast-pocket. "I can hardly even fly." She pouted.

"I guess there are drawbacks to being a pixie." Kirito sympathized. "But being big is a hassle, too, sometimes."

"I guess you're right, Papa." Yui replied with a thoughtful expression. "But I don't mind riding in your pocket!" She beamed up at him briefly before diving back into the fabric.

Asuna and Kirito shared a fond smile with one another before a gust of wind whipped past them. Asuna yelped in surprise as her hair was jerked against her, and Kirito gritted his teeth.

"Maybe we should land..." He suggested, gazing calculatingly up at the sky. It was a mixture of blue and gray now, and he wondered if they had jinxed their luck in talking about the storm settings.

Just before he could appreciate the irony, another gust of wind assaulted them, but this one was at least triple the force of the previous one. Both Kirito and Asuna were sent twirling to one side, only managing to regain their composure in hap-hazardous coasting motions.

"What's going on all of a sudden?" Asuna called to him, needing to raise her voice over the sound of the wind.

"I don't think it's a storm setting." Kirito yelled back, placing his hand to his pocket to prevent Yui from tumbling out. "I think it's just a really strong wind. Let's land." Asuna nodded and the two of them angled their wings, folding them slightly in order to drop down to the forest-level.

The wind continued to push them backward as they descended, but once they reached the treetops, the breezes died down a bit. However, they were still powerful enough to send Kirito against a thicket of branches.

"K-Kirito-kun?" Asuna jumped a little as she saw him suddenly disappear between the trees and endeavored to head toward him. "Are you ok-mmph!" She started to ask, but had to cover her mouth with her palm to keep herself from bursting with laughter at the sight of him.

Kirito was upside down against a tree trunk, his wings splayed to the sides and his entire person covered in foliage; Yui had managed to escape the disaster and was presently flitting about his face, which was coated in annoyance.

"Ow." He mumbled; that was the final straw to break Asuna's and Yui's composure as they both started to giggle.

"Papa, you're so funny!"

"H-Honestly, Kirito-kun. How did you manage to end up in that position?" Asuna seemed to have trouble breathing due to laughing so hard.

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled, peeling himself off the tree and turning himself upright. Asuna supported him so he would not fall due to his temporarily damaged wings.

"Papa, your hair's even funnier now than before!" Yui shrieked in delight as she landed on top of his head which looked like a small landscape of black, pointed mountains.

"Ah, so you're just like Asuna, as I expected, taunting me about my hair..." he sniffed once, feigning sadness as Yui continued to giggle.

"I don't tease you that much." Asuna coughed to the side as she gradually helped him to the ground. "Anyway, let's go back home."

"Sure." Kirito happily agreed as his feet touched solid ground. "Ah, but it seems you two aren't the only ones who can make fun of other people's hair today."

As he finished rubbing the leaves from his eyes, he noticed that Yui's black hair had been significantly ruffled, but she too burst into laughter once she got a look at Asuna.

Her usually straight, shiny, blue hair had been transformed into a fine mess: various branches and leaves clung in tangles and it was a compliment to call it a disarray. Asuna blinked in surprise when he started chuckling behind his palm, and she reached up to touch her hair.

"W-Whaaat?!" She shrieked upon getting her hand stuck in her own hair. "This has never happened before! It's always stayed the same until now! Is this a special side affect of the «Strong Wind» setting or something?" Her cheeks were blushed with embarrassment now as she pulled her fingers through her hair.

"I think it looks great." Kirito grinned. Asuna was about to step on his toes, but when she went to glare at him, she ended up laughing all over again upon seeing his messy hair.

As they headed to the teleportation area to reach their home, Yui flitted from Asuna's to Kirito's head, picking out as many leaves and twigs as she could manage.

When they had finally arrived home, Yui transformed into her child's form as Kirito and Asuna unequipped their wings and extra clothing. Kirito offered to prepare dinner as Asuna sat Yui down on one of the beds, calling out the hairbrush to comb through her disheveled tresses.

Yui sat with her eyes closed and a blissful expression on her face as always; this had become a daily event for the girls, and Kirito could never help but smile when he saw them together like that.

After eating, Asuna moved to Kirito to fix his hair as well. They had never been in such an odd experience before and did not know if the game would automatically reset hair qualities back to their original forms, but it appeared that «Messy Hair» was a side effect of «Strong Wind» after all. It was a minor thing, but players needed to comb and brush their hair in order to return it to normal, a tidbit Kirito had learned from several other players with unfortunate hair styles on their way home.

Kirito now understood why Yui always looked so happy when Asuna fixed her hair for her, and let himself close his eyes, wondering what it would feel like if Asuna were to do this to his real hair.

After a few moments of careful, gentle combing, Asuna had returned Kirito's spiky Spriggan hair to its normal appearance.

"Okay, my turn." Kirito took the brush from her and had her sit on the bed next to Yui, who leaned on Asuna's shoulder affectionately. Kirito ran the brush through her tangled hair, watching as the tiny leaves disintegrated as he brushed over them.

Before long, her mist-blue hair was smooth and straight again. When Kirito stopped, Asuna seemed a little disappointed that he was already finished.

"Thanks, Kirito-kun." She turned to smile at him over her shoulder. "I wish you could do this for rea-" she gasped and immediately cut herself off when she realized she was saying the words rather than dreamily thinking them, like he had. She blushed pink before whipped around and standing abruptly. "N-Never mind..." She mumbled.

But as she stepped away, Kirito reached out to grasp her sleeve.

"You're so honest." He mused. "But... I was thinking the same thing." He managed to admit, a little bashful. "M-Maybe tomorrow we could... Ah, what am I saying." He quickly shook his head as he let go of her, thinking of how stupid he must have sounded.

"N-No..." Asuna turned back to him, her cheeks still as pink as his. "I also think... that would be a nice idea..." she looked down at him as he sat on the bed with his head bowed in embarrassment. She then touched the side of his face and had him look up at her. "We... we can do... things like that from time to time, right?" She gave a small, sheepish smile.

Kirito blinked once before he nodded. "Yeah..." he said with a smile. "I think that could be nice." He opened his arms and Asuna took his invitation to sit on his lap as he locked his arms around her. "Maybe tomorrow then?"

"S-Sure." She replied.

"No fair!" Yui pushed herself between Kirito's chest and Asuna's back. "I want a hug, too!" She puffed out one cheek in an adorable pout as her parents pulled apart in laughter.

The little family rearranged themselves on the bed. Kirito leaned against a pillow at the headboard with his arms secured around Asuna's waist and shoulders. Yui sat before Asuna, who held Yui close to her chest with one hand as her other hand touched Kirito's arm around her.

Asuna patted Yui's head as Yui leaned back against her, snuggling in as close as possible as she hugged Asuna's arm to her. Kirito rested his chin on Asuna's head, and Asuna did the same to their daughter.

Kirito occasionally reached down to ruffle Yui's hair and Asuna would retaliate by pushing her head up under his chin.

"Hey, no fair. You're on her side?" Kirito muttered.

"I'm a neutral party." Asuna declared proudly. "You were simply the first to make a move."

"Neutral parties have drawbacks, too." He said evilly as he blew on her neck.

"Eeep!" Asuna reflexively shoved her elbow into his gut, but his laughter told her it had been worth it for him to see her reaction. "Geez, Kirito-kun you meanie. I'll just have to fully convert to Yui-chan's team, then."

"Yay!" Yui cheered.

"W-What?!" Kirito protested as both girls turned to jump on top of him.

Before long, the three of them laid on the bed, tickling and poking and shrieking and ruffling hair as they rolled around for several moments and laughter filled the house, until at last, Kirito confined Asuna in his strong embrace as she lie on top of him. The way he held her prevented her from moving her arms to poke him, and she panted with effort as she tried to wriggle free.

"It's no use!" He said triumphantly. "Nothing will ever make me let you go!" He squeezed her tighter as Asuna giggled, her newly-messy hair falling into his face. Yui poked Kirito in an effort to have him release Asuna, but he did not falter.

"Then Papa is mine!" Yui announced as she jumped on top of Asuna. "Now Papa can't move his arms, so I win!"

"Ah. You got me." He sighed in defeat.

Asuna smirked as she leaned down and kissed his lips. "Surrender?" She murmured.

"Truce." He bargained.

"Very well. Yui-chan? You may release him." Asuna informed her, and Yui rolled off, allowing Asuna to be freed so she could lie down next to Kirito.

"S-So, tomorrow, right?" Asuna mumbled, a hint of excitement in her tone as she thought of the day ahead. "We could have another picnic."

"That's sounds wonderful." He kissed her forehead. "But tomorrow, you won't have Yui there to help you!"

"Good luck, Mama!" Yui made a fist as she cheered.

"I'll do my best." Asuna agreed. "But you'd better watch yourself, too, Kirito-kun." She kissed his cheek in return.

"I'll make sure to do that."

Even as the wind continued to rustle the trees outside, the little house was warm inside, and full of love and laughter.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Guess you know what to expect for next week, so please continue to read, if you'd be so kind! Thanks, as always!**

**Please review!**


	23. Power Outage

**As always, thanks for the support!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 23. Power Outage

Kazuto awoke the next morning feeling very betrayed indeed, as the forecast had been predicted to be warm and sunny, and yet he opened his eyes to another gray scene.

Grumbling the entire time as he got dressed and freshened up, he finally made his way downstairs, a towel on his shoulders to catch the water dripping from his hair after his shower. "Morning." He addressed his aunt and cousin as he appeared in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Onii-chan!" Suguha chirped. "You're up early. That's pretty rare for a Sunday."

"Especially one like this." His aunt added, wiping sleep from her eyes. "These are the kind of days when you sleep in, you know." She yawned. "I would've too, except I have to drive Sugu to her friend's party."

"I hope it's indoors." Kazuto offered, flinching a bit as a strong gust of wind outside caused the raindrops to pelt harshly against the windows.

"It is." Suguha reassured.

The family of three ate their breakfasts with heightening levels of happiness in reverse to their ages: Kazuto's aunt was almost lifeless as she urged herself to try and wake up, Kazuto himself was half dreary and half excited, and Suguha was all excitement for her upcoming party.

As they were cleaning up their dishes, his aunt pulled Kazuto aside. "So are you doing anything today?" She asked in a knowing tone.

"Ah, yeah. Asuna's coming over." He said, a bit sheepishly.

"I see." She nodded. "Then maybe I'll go see a movie or something until Sugu's party is over." Kazuto gave his aunt a grateful look and she winked; he counted his blessings of how lucky he was that she had respect for his relationship.

The women got dressed in slightly formal attire, and as Suguha fumbled with her shoes at the door, his aunt called out to Kazuto.

"I hope you're not going to wear that when Asuna-san comes over." She said with a disapproving look at his black t-shirt and pants.

"Eh?" He was momentarily baffled, as she never seemed to take too much note of his clothing before, unless it was his school uniform. "But this is how I always dress."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Try to jazz it up every once in a while!" She advised. _J-Jazz it up? Who says that anymore..._ Kazuto thought as she continued to rant. "I'm not saying you have to wear a suit and tie, but just try to look a little nicer. She's your girlfriend, after all!" And with those final words of encouragement, she and Suguha took their umbrellas and left the house.

_What's she on about?_ Kazuto thought. _Isn't dressing up all prim and proper what you do at the beginning of a relationship, when you're still trying to impress the other person and show off how cute or handsome you can be? _He had Asuna had passed that stage long ago, and in fact, it had not even lasted for very long at all.

Of course he loved see her all dressed up, which he had only ever seen on very rare occasions in the summer or at school, but he found that her causal clothes and even sleepwear was even more adorable.

Still, now that his aunt had said it, Kazuto felt obliged to change into something else. _Damn, she's good._ He gave her credit as he assumed she knew what affect her suggestion would have on him.

He went back upstairs to change, keeping his black pants but exchanging his t-shirt for a button-up, long-sleeved one. After he had deposited his towel in the hamper and fixed his hair a bit, he admitted to himself that he did look a bit nicer now.

However, the darkened lighting of the room made him recall the weather, and a second later he was crashed over by a wave of frustration as he realized he was making Asuna walk all the there in the rain.

Not a minute later, the doorbell rang and Kazuto flung himself down the stairs to open it for her. Her long hair was being buffeted by the wind along with her umbrella, and her tan jacket was damp. Kazuto quickly pulled her in and shut the door behind her, taking her umbrella for her as she wriggled out of her coat.

"Thanks." She said, a little breathlessly, setting down the picnic basket she had been carrying. "Not much is good about it, but good morning, Kirito-kun." She offered a smile as she ran her fingers through her damp, now-tangled hair.

"It wasn't much of a good morning until you showed up." He replied, kissing her cheek. She blushed and removed her shoes as she unruffled her long, green skirt and blouse of a lighter shade. "I'm sorry I made you come all the way here in this weather." He said guiltily.

"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand dismissively. "It was refreshing, at least! But it's not your fault the weather report was wrong again. Plus," she quirked one eyebrow and gave a satisfied smirk as she let her gaze travel up and down his person. "It would have been a shame to get your fancy clothes all wet." She said teasingly.

"Oh this..." he muttered. "My aunt forcefully suggested I change, so here I am."

"Hoo..." she mused. "I think it looks great!" Giving a thumbs up and a wink, she caused him to blush. "But anyway, I'm going to put this in the kitchen and let it dry off a bit." She said, lifting the picnic basket. "I hope everything will still taste good."

"Your cooking would still taste good even after going through a volcano." He reassured and she gave an appreciative smile over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen.

Before they ate lunch, Kazuto had planned to either play a non-VRMMO game with her or watch a movie together, since all plans of going outside were shattered. But with almost painfully convenient timing as Asuna was stepping into the kitchen, the lights flickered once before going out completely.

"Eep!" Asuna made a surprised sound at the sudden darkness.

"Seriously?" Kazuto groaned. "Why today? Is it because we were supposed to have a picnic?" He complained up toward the ceiling.

"Now, now," Asuna chided lightly as she returned to his side. "We can still enjoy ourselves as long as we're together, right?" Even in the dreary light her smile shown brightly like a springtime flower.

"You're right." He nodded happily.

The two of them then went off to locate flashlights and candles. Kazuto called his aunt on his cell phone to inform her of the situation and she said she would be staying with Suguha at her friends' house until the party was over.

"Make sure you keep Asuna-san safe, okay?" She ordered before hanging up. Kazuto again took a moment to appreciate how she had not taunted him about being alone with his girlfriend, as most people would.

He and Asuna lit six candles around the living room, saving the flashlight's power for later in the evening when the sky darkened more, in case the power was still out at that time.

After doing all of this, it was only a little past noon, and all of their plans had more or less been thrown out the window aside from one. Asuna brought out the picnic basket and asked, "Do you want to eat in the kitchen? I can't reheat the rice or anything but it might still be okay."

After a moment of thought, Kazuto replied. "I have an idea." He rummaged through a dark closet in the hallway and removed a blanket, lying it out on the floor and motioning for her to sit down. "At least it'll feel a bit more like a picnic this way, right?"

He brought a few candles closer to where they were sitting and they began eating while listening to the hissing of the rain. Kazuto offered excessive compliments about the cooking, all of which she replied to with giggles.

When they had finished eating everything and Asuna was cleaning up, Kazuto suddenly remembered their promise from yesterday, reaching up to touch his hair. _Ah, that's right! We were going to..._ He cut off the thought as another pushed its way into his head. _That can wait for a while though_.

"Neh, Asuna?" he called out to her. "Could you give me a hand?"

"Sure!" she trotted back into the living room and squinted to locate him. "What are you doing?" She asked after spotting him in the hall closet again. He gave a tug at something and an avalanche of blankets came tumbling down on top of them both. "Geez! What did you do that for?" She shook a sheet off of her already-disheveled hair.

"Ever built a fort before?" He asked, he black eyes sparking.

"Eh?" She was taken aback and remained silent for a moment as she pondered. "I... I think I used to hear Aniki talking about them, but I've never made one myself, no."

"Good then. Take all the pillows off of the couch." He instructed.

"Eh? But it's your nice, organized house! I couldn't-"

"Do it." He encouraged, pushing her back toward the living room.

Asuna blinked once before sighing. "Geez, what are you making me do?" She mumbled pitifully as she destroyed the clean set-up his aunt had made of the couch, likely for Asuna's own sake. Kazuto ran up to his bedroom to fetch more pillows and began moving the furniture in the living room around.

"Ow." He said after a loud bang was heard.

"Careful!" Asuna called out. "It's dark. Let me help."

With Kazuto's instructions, they managed to drape a sheet over the top of the couch and weigh it down with books on a table near the wall on the other side, making a roof. After various more events of shifting things around, finding things to uses as weights, and almost knocking over candles, they had constructed a small pillow fort.

"There's not much space here, but this should do." He said, satisfied as he looked at the result.

"But with all these blankets over us, won't it be even darker?" Asuna pointed out.

"We can just put the candles on the table and use a flashlight or two in here." He suggested as he laid more blankets and pillows on the floor to make the bottom comfortable to sit on. "Besides, I don't think we'll be doing much that requires seeing anyway..." he said under his breath.

"Eh? W-What are you getting at?" She stammered.

"Ah, no, nothing! Nothing like that!" He quickly defended. He knew her thoughts did the same as his as they momentarily recalled their first night spent together in SAO, when both of them had misinterpreted various things. "We can just relax and talk." He said more calmly. "But I think you'll find everything is twice as fun inside a pillow fort, and three times as fun if it's during a power outage."

He gave a slight bow as he invited Asuna to go inside the fort first.

"Ah, before I forget. Kirito-kun," she turned back to look up at him but then fell silent.

"What is it?"

"G-Go... go get your comb. I'll...fix your hair for you." Without another word she disappeared under the blanketed roof.

Kazuto blushed a bit thinking about it and took one of the candles into the bathroom to retrieve his comb. When he returned to the living room and crawled into the fort, he found Asuna fumbling with her own hair. It appeared she had brought her own brush with her in anticipation as well.

"Here, let me help." Kazuto offered, shifting closer to her.

"N-No it's okay. Mine's still kind of wet. I'll do yours first. I don't think I'm prepared yet." She added on a thin breath.

Kazuto smiled softly as he handed her the comb. Crossing his legs, he folded his hands in his lap and sat up straight as Asuna crawled behind him, propping herself up on her knees as she hesitantly began to comb through his hair.

Kazuto jumped slightly as her fingers gently made contact with his head and shoulders. It somewhat resembled the feeling he had experienced in the game, but as usual, her actual closeness and gentleness was a thousand times more comforting. The way she carefully brushed through his hair and rested her hands on his shoulders in such a cautious manner almost made him feel like a child again and he smiled, closing his eyes.

At one point, a tiny knot caught in the comb and Asuna flinched.

"I-I'm sorry!" She gasped. "Did that hurt?"

"Of course not." He laughed. "It feels wonderful, Asuna." His words made her calmer then, and as she went on, Asuna's hesitance melted away.

Kazuto thought he might fall asleep soon, with the sound of the rain in the background and Asuna's gentle fingers brushing his skin. He unconsciously leaned back slightly onto her chest and Asuna finally put the comb down as she wrapped her arms around him loosely. She closed her eyes as she rested her chin on his shoulder, and Kazuto sighed with elation as he was lost in her warmth. Her breath was steady and soft against his neck, and he could feel the slow beating of her heart against his back, her natural scent that reminded him of autumn encompassing him.

"I love you, Kirito-kun." She murmured happily.

Kazuto reached back with one hand to turn her face toward his. Their cheeks brushed softly before their lips met, and Asuna squeezed him tighter to her. Asuna then rested her cheek on his shoulder and they stayed that way for a long while.

"Neh," Kazuto gently shook his shoulder and she sleepily opened her eyes. "Let me fix your hair now."

"You just want to hold me like this." She said knowingly and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Fine." She gave in when he showed her his best puppy dog eyes.

They moved apart and switched spots as Kazuto picked up the hairbrush she had brought along. "I-It's really knotted." She warned him. "You don't have to do all of it if it's going to be a hassle."

"Just who do you think I am?" He said proudly. "Have you ever known me to give up on anything before?"

"Other than studying?"

"Quiet, you." He ruffled her hair and made it even messier. "If I hurt you, then tell me right away, okay?" He lifted her tresses with one hand and started at the bottom, pulling the brush through gently to smooth out the wet, curled ends.

"Wow, Kirito-kun, I'm surprised you know to start at the ends and work up." She sounded impressed.

"Isn't that just common sense to get rid of the knots at the bottom first?"

"Apparently it's not sense my brother had." She grumbled. "My brother tried brushing my hair once when we were younger and he was so rough, yanking it as if it had no feeling. The only person I've let touch it since was Liz, because she's so obsessed with braiding it whenever she's bored."

"I commend her." Kazuto put in. "Braiding looks difficult."

"It's not, really." Asuna went on talking a bit about the process, and the conversation help diminish her feelings of self-consciousness. But when Kazuto's hand brushed against her back unexpectedly, she froze up and fell silent, blood rushing to her cheeks. She felt several chills shake her body as his hands kept skimming over her back, always making such light contact it was ticklish.

Kazuto continued to work his way up, untangling the small knots in sections. Whenever he encountered a particularly stingy one, he would hold the area of hair above the knot against her back as he brushed it, so he would not pull a single strand out.

Asuna could remember when her mother would brush her hair before family gatherings, and it was almost always a painful process on Asuna's end. Tears always welled in her eyes when her mother ripped a strand out and then scolded Asuna for making a fuss about it. But Kazuto's touch was the most gentle she had ever felt before, perhaps even more so than her own.

The entire time as he brushed through her long tresses, she felt no pain at all, even though Kazuto seemed to be convinced that he was constantly hurting her. He apologized profusely, but each time she laughed it off and told him it was fine.

It took him several moments to finally reach her neck and then the back of her head, but by then he was able to pull the brush down through the entire length of her chestnut hair smoothly and continuously.

Asuna's eyes had closed long ago in bliss, and now a small, contented sound escaped unknowingly from her lips, making Kazuto smirk.

"Does it feel nice?" He wondered, even though he already knew the answer.

"Kirito-kun..." She breathed. "It's like a little piece of heaven." She swayed back and forth slightly as he continued to brush her hair, lightly pressing his palms against her back. "It feels wonderful. This is the most soothing feeling..."

Kazuto mused at how adorable she was being as he put the brush down and continued to run his fingers through her hair instead. She leaned back against him, letting out a long breath and Kazuto wrapped his arms around her stomach. He leaned against the back of the couch and Asuna shifted amongst the pillows and snuggled up to him.

This time Kazuto rested his chin on her shoulder and Asuna turned to kiss his cheek. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

"Let's just take a little nap." She murmured.

"Sounds good." He agreed, pulling a blanket up over her.

The dim candlelight flickered faintly in the darkness as the rain continued to patter down against the roof.

The two listened to the the calming sound and nestled closer together, smiling as they drifted off into a light slumber.

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**A/N: Hope it was to your liking! Next week we'll continue from here!  
**

**Please review!**


	24. Sleepover

**Due to finals coming up, this was another rushed and short chapter (sorry!) but soon I will be free of school and have more time to write better, so bear with me until then!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 24. Sleepover

About an hour later, Kazuto awoke with a start when a loud blast of thunder sounded.

He opened his eyes in the darkness, dimly lit by a few candles on the tables, the hissing of the rain still pattering in the background. Asuna stirred in his arms and made a whimpering sound as she woke, too, shivering slightly, and Kazuto hugged her tighter.

"Well, looks like a thunderstorm." He noted. "Guess we won't be getting our electricity back anytime tonight."

Asuna grimaced as another blast shook the house and lightning flashed. "It's nearly evening." She fretted. "I don't think I'd like walking back by myself, but I don't want to trouble Mother or Father to come pick me up..."

"Well you're not walking back, that's for sure." He decided. "But when you look at things logically, there's really only one option."

"R-Really?" She turned around to look at him. "You'd let me sleep over?"

"Of course!" He blurted instantly. "In fact I've been dying to have you sleep over for months-" Realizing he was speaking aloud and not just thinking, he quickly cut himself off.

"W-What was that? I don't think I heard you properly." She laughed.

"N-Nothing." He accepted the chance to save himself she had provided. "There's just no point in anyone having to go out in this storm, so just stay here, okay? Plus, since we already went through the effort of building this fort, we might as well use it to the fullest." He grinned.

"Okay." She sounded as though a bit of anxiety had lifted from her when she heard they would be sleeping there together, not in his room or in separate rooms. "B-But only if your aunt says it's all right. Does your phone still have battery?" She wondered.

"Yeah. I hope I still have service..." He muttered.

The two of them moved apart and stretched to get their blood flowing again, and Kazuto fumbled around until he located his cell phone. He managed to get in contact with his aunt, who said she would be staying with his cousin at Suguha's friend's house, since they had guest rooms.

"Is Asuna-san still there?" She asked. "If she is, tell her to stay the night. Don't have her parents trouble themselves to come get her, and don't you dare let her walk back by herself." She scolded as though he had already disobeyed her.

"I know that." He replied. "Yes, she's staying here tonight."

"Good then. Don't stay up too late, and make sure to get some sleep! And call me if anything happens." With a sing-songy kind of tone, she hung up her phone, leaving Kazuto a bit embarrassed by her implications of why he and Asuna might be staying up late. He hung up as well and turned off his phone to conserve battery, and Asuna too had just turned off her phone.

"I called my parents." She said mildly. Kazuto felt a prickle go up his spine, concerned that they had been angry with her. But when she continued speaking, it was with a surprised smile. "They said it was fine for me to stay here, as long as it was fine with your aunt. They said to be safe..." She trailed off, obviously dwelling in that little bit of happiness of her parents being concerned about her.

When Kazuto had known them before, they were the kinds of people who would often embed their meanings in their words, and thus the true content would often go undetected. However, it seemed that within the past few months, her parents had begun to say things more directly, which had clearly turned out in Asuna's favor.

"That's good. So everyone's fine with it." The realization just then hit him that he would be spending a night alone with Asuna again. They had done this several times already, but each time felt like the first, as the nervousness and excitement still laced the air between them.

"W-Well then," Asuna broke the short ensuing silence. "I'm just going to wash my face a bit. It's still early, but there really isn't much more to do than sleep is there?"

"I guess not." Kazuto raked his brain for more ideas, but he could think of nothing else they could do now that the power was out and their candles were shrinking.

The two of them crawled out of the soft fort and slowly made their way up the stairs where Asuna headed to the bathroom and Kazuto went to his bedroom. _Well, so much for dressing up for her_. He thought. _She couldn't even see me most __of the time_. He thought ironically and he changed his shirt into a more comfortable one.

They met up again at the top of the stairs and guided each other down one step at a time.

"Oh no." Asuna muttered when they reached the bottom again.

"What is it?"

"We have school tomorrow. How am I supposed to make it on time if I have to go back to my house and then to school? I don't have my bag or my uniform with me."

"Ah... that is a problem." He sighed. "I guess we'll just have to wake up really early and I'll walk you back home to get them before class. But if the power's still out, there's a possibility school might just be cancelled. Either way, let's worry about that tomorrow. For now, are you going to sleep in that?" He wondered, motioning in the shadows to the blouse and skirt she had worn to his house.

"Ah, yes. I wouldn't want to borrow something from Suguha-chan or your aunt. This is comfortable enough."

"Alright then." He nodded as they entered the fort once more. "Well it's still a bit too early for sleep, don't you think?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked in a tone that accepted his challenge. "I haven't done much all day, so I'm prepared for anything."

"Anything, huh?" He grinned, leaning to one side to pick up a flashlight and holding it under his chin. "Then how about ghost stories?" He gave a convoluted grin, wearing the creepiest expression he could muster.

"Eek!" She let out a short shriek. "N-Now Kirito-kun, you know that's not fair. You know how I f-feel about those things."

"Hmm... but you said you were ready for anything." He shrugged, placing the flashlight down. "In that case..." Grabbing the nearest pillow, he lunged straight at her, bowling her over completely.

"H-Hey! What are you doing, all of a sudden?" She spat out a mouthful of pillow as she grappled him off of her. "You didn't even give me a warning! Cheater." Pushing herself up, she too took up the nearest pillow and jumped on him this time.

"Woah!" Kazuto grunted as she pinned him to the cushioned ground. "They didn't call you Lighting Flash for nothing."

"But you can't use your sword skills with a pillow, can you?" She smirked.

"We'll see about that!" Surging upward, he pushed her off of him and gathered as many pillows to him as he could.

Anticipating what he intended to do, Asuna did the same, preparing a shield of sorts to deflect him. Simultaneously, they leapt forward, crashing into one another and falling into the pile of pillows.

"Oh, it's on." Asuna declared.

"Bring it."

Within moments, the nice fort they had constructed together was in total disarray, the blankets and sheets tangled around their bodies as they attacked one another with pillows and cushions.

The flashlights just barely provided enough light for them to see by, and the occasional lightning bolt would illuminate the room further. The blasting of the thunder and streaming rain was instantly drowned out by a series of laughter and shouts as the couple continued to wrestle.

At one point, Asuna managed to slip past his pillow-shield and tickle him, causing Kazuto to laugh in a fairly high tone. This alone caused Asuna to cease her attack, as she was laughing too hard to continue.

"K-Kirito-kun..." she panted. "T-That laugh..."

"I'll make you pay for that..." he mumbled, trying to regain his dignity.

Taking advantage of her lowered defenses, he resorted to tickling her as well, and Asuna squealed loudly. She squirmed and tossed uncontrollably as she continued to laugh her heart out.

Kazuto tickled her until he was chuckling too hard, as well. "I can't do it anymore... you're just too cute." He sighed, sitting back as she continued to giggle breathlessly.

At last, she pushed herself up, letting out a long breath as she looked up at him.

"Ppft." She covered her mouth when she got a look at him. "Your hair is a mess again."

"Not as much as yours, I'm sure." He replied. "I think this battle's a draw, too."

"Agreed."

It was a miracle that the sheet making the roof of the fort had stayed in place, but the ones lining the floor were messed up. Asuna straightened the blankets out a bit as Kazuto gathered all of the pillows into one big area, making a bed of sorts with them.

"Come here. I'll try to fix your hair again." He waved her over and sat with her back to him.

Running his fingers through her hair, he gently patted it down wherever it was frizzled with static. He gathered the hair at her neck and pulled it behind her shoulders, repeatedly tugging his fingers through it slowly.

She sighed multiple times and sounded like she would fall asleep any second, so he eventually laid down on the bed of pillows and pulled her down beside him. Asuna pulled one of the sheets over them both as she nestled up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"This was the best storm ever." She said before kissing him gently. "And also my first sleepover." She added.

"Come to think of it, mine too." He realized. "I'm glad it was with you."

"Me, too." She agreed. "We can add this to our list of 'firsts' together."

"Right." He pulled her closer, resting his chin atop her head as her soft warmth spread throughout his person.

"Ahh, so warm..." she mumbled blissfully. "I really hope class is cancelled tomorrow."

"Even if it's not, we still get to spend the night together now, right?" He pointed out.

"That's true." She paused to yawn. "I don't want to fall asleep just yet. I want to stay like this a little longer, but I'm really tired now."

"Then sleep." He murmured, kissing her head. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Me too." Even though all the lights had been extinguished, he knew she was blushing, because he was, too. "Good night, Kirito-kun. I love you." She breathed, closing her eyes.

"I love you more, Asuna." He replied.

"Nope. I do."

"No, me."

They continued to bicker back and forth in between yawns for several more moments until their voices trailed with sleep and they fell silent, locked in their warm embrace despite the storm.

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**A/N: If you want more pillow fights and cuddling between them, read my other story Waking Up To You ;3**

**Please review!**


	25. Without Words

**This chapter is dedicated to Linda! Happy birthday!**

**I've decided to change it up a bit this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 25. Without Words

It was about midnight when Kazuto was woken by a familiar buzzing sound.

Even though he had said he would turn off his cell phone in order to conserve battery power, he had forgotten to due so.

But now, as he groggily opened his eyes in the darkness and strained to reach his phone while simultaneously not waking Asuna, he was glad he had not turned it off.

Despite his best efforts as he reached for his phone, he disturbed Asuna's peaceful slumber and she stirred beside him. She made a small, questioning sound with her still-lethargic voice as she snuggled up closer to Kazuto to see what his phone's screen read. Kazuto wore a faint smile as he turned it for her to read, the dull light giving off the only illumination in the entire house.

Asuna squinted her eyes to read the message, a smile slowly growing on her sleepy demeanor as she read to herself that their school would be cancelled the next day due to power outages and slight flooding. Classes would resume on Tuesday, but for now, it was absolutely necessary that they enjoy this blessing of an extra day off.

Asuna let out a small giggle of content as Kazuto closed his phone. He shrugged his shoulders happily as he resettled into his spot to sleep, letting his eyelids fall shut again as he opened his arms for Asuna.

However, he did not feel the comfortable warmth of her slipping into his embrace, but rather a rustling of sheets and pillows beside him. Kazuto cracked one eye open to find Asuna stretching and looking like she was about to jog a mile.

Kazuto poked her side, causing her to squeal and jerk sideways, interrupting her satisfying stretch. She glared at him with a playful pout as he showed her his phone again, indicating the time. Asuna stuck her tongue out at him with a little smirk as she silently told him she did not care that it was midnight; the slightly mischievous sparkling in her chestnut eyes was clearly visible even in the dark, and Kazuto knew exactly what she intended to do. Now that classes we cancelled tomorrow, this would be equivalent to a Friday night, and thus they should stay up and enjoy themselves.

However, even though they could still be together the next day, they would no longer be completely alone, and Asuna wanted to take advantage of that fact right now. Kazuto understood all of this within seconds just from looking at her face, and he sighed slightly as he pushed himself up, knowing he would never be able to resist such a rare opportunity.

Asuna's smile brightened when she saw he intended to go along with her plans, and she gave a little bounce as she half stood up in the fort before exiting into the living room, Kazuto crawling out after her.

The sounds of rain and thunder were gone, and they both glanced out the window to confirm that the storm had passed.

He did not even ask what she intended to do, in fact he knew quite well what she wanted, so he stood and followed her to the front door as they slipped on their shoes. Not bothering to change clothes, Kazuto grabbed his house keys and dropped them into his pocket alongside his cellphone as he put on his jacket. Asuna also slipped into the tan jacket she had worn on her way here in the rain, and when they were both prepared, they opened the front door and stepped outside.

The air was crisp and chilled, the refreshingly clear aftertaste of rain immediately filling their sense as it hit the roofs of their mouths. They stood in front of the house for a long moment, deeply inhaling the cleansing scent into their stuffy lungs. Asuna glanced sideways at him and Kazuto instantly knew what she wanted to say; there was nothing quite as refurbishing as the scent of the air at night after a rain-shower.

Asuna gave a stiff shiver and Kazuto took her hand, intertwining their fingers and sharing his warmth through his palm as they commenced their midnight walk.

Because of the storm, no orange streetlights illuminated the path ahead for them. However, they both found the natural light of the moon to be much brighter. The sky was immaculate, clear of any clouds now, and as they walked, Kazuto and Asuna found themselves gazing at the constellations wherever tree branches allowed the view.

Their shoes splashed in small puddles and scraped against the concrete sidewalk, but aside from their footsteps, only the occasional dripping of raindrops from the trees could be heard. There was no breeze at present, and the air was still as the rest of the sleeping town. Not a single car rushed by, not a single dog barked; nothing, not even words, interrupted the wonderful silence they shared.

Kazuto and Asuna walked passed three blocks on the sidewalk before Kazuto gave a slight tug sideways and Asuna titled her head to one side questioningly. Kazuto just gave her a smile that said "You'll see. Follow me." and led her off into a small strip of woods.

The leaves underfoot rustled a bit as they stepped carefully through the shadows. Kazuto could see their destination ahead in a shaft of moonlight and encouraged Asuna onward. She began to walk faster and soon the two broke out into a short sprint.

Kazuto brought them to a stop where they stood panting at the other side of the woods.

Before them lie a long and silent structure in the ground, running a straight line between to halves of forest like a borderline. Many years ago, they were train-tracks for a major transportation route, but nowadays they only ever saw one or two trains a week, usually at night. The black metal was shimmering with silver moonlight and water droplets, and the patterned path it cut through the trees looked unending from where they stood.

Asuna's jaw had dropped a little as she stared in admiration of the old structure, quiet and undisturbed by human contact. Her chestnut gaze met Kazuto's onyx one almost immediately as she pulled him ahead with her. Asuna jumped onto one side of the tracks as Kazuto hopped onto the other, and with their hands entwined in the center, they walked slowly down the train-tracks, going nowhere in particular.

Asuna balanced herself with her free arm in the air, and her occupied hand using Kazuto's weight against hers. Kazuto made sure not to let her lose her balance, but he also concentrated on not letting himself slip, lest he cause them both to burst out into laughter and break the silence.

As he was staring at the narrow metal path below him and planting his feet accordingly, he heard a small gasp from Asuna as she suddenly halted, almost causing him to lose his balance.

Kazuto looked up to see a large herd of deer ahead of them on his side of the tracks. A line of females quickly jumped over the train-tracks not too far away from them, as the only two stags raised their magnificently antlered heads to look at Kazuto and Asuna.

There was such a captivating beauty about the scene that Kazuto felt frozen in place, and he could tell Asuna was holding her breath.

Once the last doe had crossed into Asuna's side of the woods, the two stags trotted off after them; there was a distant rustling of kicked-up leaves for a moment afterward before all was still again.

Kazuto finally blinked his eyes again and Asuna let out her breath before they shared glances once more, their eyes full of humble wonder and a mutual happiness.

Kazuto then tilted his head to one side, wondering if she wanted to start heading back yet, but although her shivering hand told him they probably should, her eyes begged him "just a little further". Kazuto bowed his head in compliance and Asuna grinned, squeezing his palm tighter as they continued to balance along the train-tracks.

They walked for several more moments as the moon slowly followed them overhead, but once they reached the crossroads, the couple decided to start the journey back.

They followed the tracks back to the wooded area they had come from before they found their way back to the sidewalk, which was still glowing from the aftereffects of the rain.

By the time they got back to the Kirigaya residence, they were both quivering slightly from the chill in the air, but it was more refreshing than uncomfortable.

Kazuto dug out his keys and unlocked the door, closing it behind him as they stepped inside to remove their shoes and coats.

Asuna let out a long, satisfied sigh, stretching her arms up above her head. Kazuto made a playful move to poke her side, but she immediately sent him a pouting glare that had him laughing as he back off.

They both stood there in the living room for a moment, a slight air of disappointment wafting around them as they realized their romantic midnight walk had come to an end.

Yet a hint of magic remained in the air, and Kazuto saw Asuna's eyes still shimmering, and he, too still had a fluttering feeling inside.

They both knew they would not be forgetting this night any time soon, as the past 24 hours had felt like a secret rendezvous of sorts to them.

Asuna glanced at her cell phone as the two crawled back into the pillow fort, noting it was about 2AM.

Now feeling the exhaustion of the long walk weighing her limbs down, she flopped happily onto the pile of pillows they had designated as their bed, letting out a long, satisfied breath. Kazuto chuckled at her actions and dragged a blanket over her before slipping underneath beside her.

She sleepily raised her head to show him her beaming smile, which Kazuto reflected; momentarily, onyx locked with chestnut, and a deep, indescribable expression of emotion was shared between them.

Their lips then came together with soft passion as they closed their eyes, conveying everything they needed to through that act alone.

A moment later, they broke apart, and Asuna snuggled into the crook of his neck as Kazuto contentedly brought his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin on her head.

It took only a few minutes for their fantasy-touched realities to become the stuff of dreams, and they fell asleep once more, quietly and blissfully, as nothing else was needed but the other person in their arms.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading this week, too!**

**Please review!**


	26. Hiccups

**Thanks as always for all the support everyone!~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 26. Hiccups

Asuna groggily pushed herself up from her mattress, blinking her eyes against the bright morning sunlight.

She sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head for a moment before leaning forward to stretch out her back in a catlike motion. Wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, she got out of bed and tidied it before freshening up.

After changing into her school uniform, she commenced brushing her hair with long strokes of the brush. She sighed as she immediately remembered 3 days ago when she had been at Kazuto's house overnight, and when he had combed her hair for her.

Now, as she did it herself, she tried to remember his gentle hands that would occasionally brush against her back, his clumsy motions of how he brushed through her tresses with uncertainty, his cute, periodic queries of whether he had hurt her. "Ah, that sure was nice..." She sighed aloud. "I wish we could do that every day..."

Although she voiced her regrets as such, she realized something inside her head. _But then...if we did things like that every day, I guess it wouldn't be as special as it is during those few, rare occasions._

Still, she could not help but long for she and Kazuto to be able to sleep over together every night. _B-But then... wouldn't that be like...getting m-married...?_ As the rush of blood inflamed her cheeks, Asuna vigorously shook her head to scatter the thoughts. _A-Anyway. Time for school. _

Tying a portion of her hair into its usual braid, she took her bag and went downstairs for breakfast, wishing her family goodbye before she headed out.

Seeing Kazuto standing on the sidewalk outside of her house set her heart aflutter; even though it was a scene she saw every day, it always made her so happy. _This is the best kind of relationship._ She thought happily as she bounded over to him. _The kind where everything is exciting, even if it's something you've done a thousand times already. _"Good morning, Kirito-kun!"

"Yo. Morning, Asuna." He waved briefly before placing his hand on her shoulder and kissing her cheek. Asuna giggled as she found his hand with hers and they began walking to school.

There was still a bit of debris such as tree branches lying about on the streets due to the slight flooding brought on by the storm a few days ago, but there had been no major damage aside from some loss of power in some areas. _Although I think it would have been quite nice to have had a bit more time off from school to spend alone with Kirito-kun..._ Asuna thought, a little bitterly.

As they walked idly and slowly on their path to school, Kazuto and Asuna both recalled several nights ago when they had walked much the same way, only on the train tracks in the woods instead of on the sidewalk.

Asuna was remembering with a dreamy look on her face, and got so distracted in the memory that she did not notice a small blossom fluttering toward her in the breeze. It collided with her nose, causing her to give a short shriek of surprise as she jumped, sputtering. The unexpected event cause her to swallow incorrectly and she coughed.

"Geez, what happened?" Kazuto tried to hold back his chuckle as he glance sideways. "We've only been walking for three minutes." He reached over with his free hand and brushed the blossom off of her nose.

"T-Thanks..." she coughed again. "Sorry. That really surprised me." She then turned her head quickly away from him to let out an impressive sneeze. "S-Sorry..." She wheezed, turning back to him with a guilty look on her face.

"Dummy." He smiled, patting her head and thinking how adorable she looked with her hair slightly sticking out and her nose slightly red.

But once they began walking again, Kazuto stopped after only a few steps after he heard a small sound coming from his side. "What was that?" He tilted his head questioningly.

"W-What?" Asuna blinked. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"I could have sworn I just heard-"

"-_Hic_!-"

"..."

"Uwaaahhh..." Asuna moaned as she hiccuped again. A huge grin broke out across her boyfriend's face.

"You have the hiccups." He mused.

"N-Nooooo -_hic_!-" She wailed.

"What's the matter?" He asked, still smiling. "I've never heard you hiccup before."

"But it just -_hic_!- sounds so weird!"

"I think it's adorable!" He stated.

"...R-Really?" She mumbled. "B-But it's so -_hic!_- loud..." She muttered, covering her mouth.

"But it's with your cute voice, so I think your hiccups are great." He grinned.

Asuna felt her blush resurface as she quickly looked away.

"I just -_hic!-_ hope they stop before class starts..."

The two of them continued to walk, but no longer in silence thanks to Asuna's hiccups. Each time one slipped out, which was about ten times every minute, she would give a little jump to accompany it, and each time Kazuto chuckled and squeezed her hand a little tighter.

When they arrived at school, Rika and Keiko greeted them as usual, but immediately burst into laughter when Asuna's reply was interrupted with a squeak.

"Buwahaha Asuna do you have the hiccups?" Rika guffawed. "That's the cutest thing I've ever heard!" Tears were clinging to the corners of her eyelashes.

"L-Liz..." Asuna mumbled, her face flushing.

"Why don't you drink some water?" Keiko suggested. "Otherwise you'll be hiccuping all during homeroom."

"I know. But there's not -_hic!- _enough time!" Asuna fretted.

"I guess you're just going to have to try and hold them in." Kazuto shrugged, but Asuna glared at him because he sounded like he was looking forward to her inevitable predicament.

"Welp, best of luck to ya!" Rika slammed her palm against Asuna's back, making her cough. "If your hiccups aren't gone by lunchtime, just let us know and we'll come give you the scare of your life!" With that final statement, she and Keiko headed off to their classroom.

Rika's words left Asuna trembling, as they all knew how she felt about scary things; Kazuto could easily imagine the other two girls dressing as ghosts with table cloths and scaring Asuna out of her mind to get rid of her hiccups.

The couple went to their own classroom and sat in their designated seats, which were several rows away from one another. Kazuto kept glancing at her, hunching over her desk as she tried to suppress the hiccups, her shoulders occasionally jumping.

As the teacher entered and the chatter died down, she tried even harder to keep quiet. Kazuto could tell she was a little more relieved when the teacher would speak and she could let the hiccups slip a little, but when a pop quiz was announced, Kazuto could not help but sputter with laughter from the look that appeared on Asuna's face.

Throughout the quiz no one spoke, and despite her very best efforts, Asuna could not silence her hiccups. Every time she squeaked, her classmates chuckled, and she would mutter an apology with her cheeks bright red.

Even after the pop quiz was over and the lecture continued, her hiccups still did not stop for another hour. However, just before lunchtime, Kazuto realized the lack of little noises coming from her direction, and Asuna let out a long sigh of relief.

When the teacher left the classroom and their fellow classmates all dispersed for lunch, Asuna quite literally popped out of her seat and ran over to Kazuto grinning.

"They're gone!" She beamed. "Now Liz and Silica-chan won't come to scare me!"

"That may be true," he grinned with a taunting tone. "But I wouldn't be surprised if they could hear you from their classroom during that pop quiz."

Asuna's demeanor immediately switched to a pout again. "Don't remind me..."

When they found out Asuna's hiccups had gone, Rika and Keiko did seem a bit disappointed.

"But you know hiccups tend to come back more than once in a couple days, right?" Rika winked. "If you ever need us, just let us know!"

"A-As if!" Asuna stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Come on, Kirito-kun. Let's have lunch at our usual spot." She took his sleeve and stomped off in a bashful rush with him in tow.

They retreated to their secret base, the bench outside by the small, blossoming gardens, and sat down to open their bentos. They ate in content silence, Asuna sending off a particularly bubbly aura now that she was freed from her hiccups.

After a few moments, she put down her bento box and slid closer to Kazuto.

"Neh, just a little one?" She said softly, tilting her head up.

Kazuto smiled as he put down his bento as well, wrapping one arm around the small of her back to pull her in. They closed their eyes as their breaths collided lightly, mere centimeters away.

But just as their lips were about to meet, Kazuto felt her jump slightly in his arms, and at the same time she was thrown off course to his mouth and ended up bumping into his nose as she squeaked. Despairingly, she reopened her eyes.

"Noooo -_hic!-_ Not aga-_hic!-_in..." Forgetting the nice kiss they had been about to share, she dropped her face onto his shoulder as Kazuto let slip another chuckle.

"I guess Liz was right about them coming back."

"Uguuu... -_hic!_-"

"My aunt knows the best way to get rid of them. Do you have a water bottle?" Asuna limply brought a bottle out of her bag. "Okay," Kazuto continued. "Now you need to plug your ears and hold your nose and drink as much as you can. I'll hold the water for you, okay?" Asuna nodded as she lifted her hands to her face, plugging her ears with her index fingers and holding her nose with her pinkies.

She nodded again with a determined expression as she took a deep breath and Kazuto opened the bottle. Holding it to her lips, he slowly tilted it toward her a she leaned her head back and began gulping it down. Before very long, she ran out of breath and Kazuto pulled the water away as she dropped her hands back into her lap, panting.

"Don't breathe through your mouth!" He said quickly, and Asuna immediately closed her mouth.

Once she had regained her breath and calmed down a bit, Asuna realized her hiccups had stopped. She opened her mouth experimentally, but nothing slipped out.

"They...They stopped!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

"It's a shame." He sighed. "Your hiccups were so cute..."

She lifted her head and gave him a little glare before straightening up, leaning closer to him again. Kazuto pulled her in again as he leaned down to kiss her.

But just before his lips met hers, Kazuto jumped while making a short sound.

"Uhh..."

"Ppft! That was so cute, Kirito-kun!" Asuna giggled, embracing the irony.

"Damn it." He groaned. "Do you have any more water?"

"Nope~" She sang.

"Fine. I'll go buy one from the machine. But first..."

He leaned down again and this time they managed to kiss.

Their lips met for several seconds before Kazuto hiccuped again, and Asuna was forced to pull away, laughing.

"Go and buy the water." She smirked. "If it doesn't work, I'll give you a good scare!"

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! (Just FYI, if you've never tried the water method to get rid of hiccups, I suggest it! It works with me every time!)**

**Please review!**


	27. Strength

So I was getting a lot of requests for another serious chapter, so I know it'll be a bit different from last week's lighthearted one, but please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.

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Chapter 27. Strength

"Ah geez. I have so much to do..." Kazuto mumbled to himself as he rummaged through his school bag.

The past few days of classes had covered a wide range of material in various subjects, but it was not the lectures that were particularly overwhelming. Rather, there was an upcoming exam that would weigh quite heavily upon each student's final grade, and Kazuto knew he was less prepared than he should have been for it. _No matter though. I'll just study after I complete the rest of the homework._

Taking a seat at the desk in his room, he pulled out all the relevant notebooks and papers from his bag in order to being his homework. He found himself stumped on various mathematics problems and ended up biting his lip multiple times as he scrambled for answers. He had anticipated only working on the problems for about an hour, but by the time he finally laid down his pencil, it had been nearly two.

"Alright. Language is next..." he mumbled as he retrieved different papers from his folders.

Halfway through his work, his aunt called him down for dinner, and Kazuto changed out of his uniform and into more comfortable clothes in order to relax a bit more before he walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

But Kazuto could hardly enjoy the warm soup and flavorful curry, as his mind was preoccupied with the upcoming exam as well as his current homework.

Yet he must not have hidden his troubles as effectively as he initially thought, as it was no longer than a few minutes before Suguha tilted her head at him from across the table.

"Onii-chan, is something wrong?" She asked, concern flashing briefly within her clear, black eyes.

"Yes, Kazuto, you've hardly eaten anything." His aunt added, frowning.

"Ah... no I'm fine. Just have a lot of school work..." He admitted.

"Isn't that test you were worried about coming up soon?" His cousin remembered.

"Yeah. I really need to study more." The forced smile he had put on fell as he sighed.

"Just be sure to take breaks." His aunt advised with a soft smile.

"Right. Thanks for the food." Kazuto stood and cleaned his dishes before returning to his room.

It was another hour or so until he had finally finished his homework and at last went into his bag to find his notebook for studying for his exam. But even after checking every pocket of his bag, every shelf on his desk, and even under his bed, Kazuto realized his notebook was nowhere to be found.

"Dammit!" He slammed his fist down onto his desk in frustration. "I won't even be able to study tonight..." Gritting his teeth in anger, he desperately attempted to recall the material from his notes from the recesses of his brain, but only ended up confusing himself. "Damn it all..." He slammed his fist down again, causing his computer to shake.

Just then, his cell phone rang and he unclenched his fist as he pulled it from his bag. The angry expression on his demeanor softened instantly when he saw it was Asuna calling him, and he forced the frustration from his voice as he answered. "Hello?"

"Ah! Thank goodness, Kirito-kun!" Simply hearing her voice was enough to take things off his mind for the moment. "I messaged you online, but you didn't reply, s-so I just got a little worried... I-I'm sorry. Did I interrupt anything?"

"No." There was a tiny smile forming on his lips as he heard her saying she was worried about him. "I was trying to study for that exam, but I left my notebook in school."

"Ah, that exam... that's in 2 days, right?" As she reminded him of how little time he had left, Kazuto's smile began to fall. "Don't worry, that's plenty of time!" At Asuna's unexpected declaration, his eyes widened a bit.

"I'm still not comfortable with the material, so I wanted to study as much as possible. I'm so mad I forgot my notebook." He growled.

"You already had a lot of homework tonight, didn't you? I only just finished mine." She gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Neh, how about I read you some of my notes for the exam? Just a few to help you remember things a bit." Her calm, helpful attitude approaching the subject that had previously been the cause of Kazuto's anxiety was like a gentle breeze subduing a tempest.

"I didn't even think of that." He replied. "That'd be great, Asuna."

"Okay! First let's go over what we learned last week..."

Kazuto listened attentively as Asuna read him her notes. As she spoke, he realized he could recall more of the material than he initially thought, and he nodded eagerly to himself, occasionally asking her questions for confirmation.

Before long, his worries had completely ebbed away, and after ten minutes, Asuna let out a long sigh.

"I think that's enough for tonight." She decided.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot, Asuna." He made sure to put his gratitude into his tone.

"You're always welcome." He could hear her smile. "Now, Kirito-kun, I know we didn't review everything tonight, but that doesn't mean you can go online and start researching the other topics." Kazuto sputtered a bit as she called him out on his actions, just as he was reaching for the desktop's mouse. "Don't go studying anymore tonight. It's already late. You need to go to sleep and stop worrying about it. You'll have plenty of time tomorrow to study, okay? Promise you'll get some sleep now?" Although her tone was a slightly lecturing one, he could detect the concern there so much easier.

"You got me." Kazuto admitted, letting go of the mouse. "Okay. I promise I'll go to sleep now."

"Good." She sounded satisfied. "Don't worry about it, really, okay? You'll be fine, Kirito-kun."

"Yeah. Thanks again, Asuna."

"Good night." She lowered her voice a little. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

Regrettably, Kazuto hung up before packing his books and papers away. As per Asuna's instructions, he turned off the lights and got into bed.

Forgetting his frustrations, he just kept replying her soothing voice within his mind, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning was cool after a night of rain, and Kazuto felt refreshed, as if rejuvenated by the cleansing shower.

Along with Asuna's reassuring words from last night still ringing in his ears, there was a feeling in the bottom of his stomach that today would be a good day. "Alright." He made a triumphant fist. "I'll make sure today turns out great. I'll study a lot and go into the exam confidently tomorrow."

He straightened up proudly as he went about his morning routine, before wishing Suguha and his aunt goodbye as he stepped outside.

When he arrived at Asuna's house, she was already outside, and bounded lightly over to him.

"Feeling any better?" He was not surprised that was the first thing out of her mouth.

He smiled a little at her concerned eyes. "Much." He grinned, causing her to do the same in her relief.

"I'm glad." She hooked her arm around his as they began to saunter down the sidewalk. "Neh, how about you come to my house after school today and we can study a little? My parents will be home late, so we'll have some quiet."

"That's sounds great." Kazuto had planned on dedicating his entire evening on studying, but if spending it with Asuna was possible, he would not think twice.

"I'll look forward to it then." She beamed.

* * *

After classes had ended, Kazuto and Asuna headed home together, dodging puddles on the sidewalk.

"Ugh. Why would Sensei give us homework tonight of all nights?" Kazuto grumbled. "He knows we'll need to be studying for the exam tomorrow..."

Asuna could tell he was getting more depressed. As the lectures had gone on today, she kept glancing over at him to see his smile fading with every assignment the teacher read off.

_He seemed to be in such a good mood this morning._ She frowned. _I don't want him to get overwhelmed with everything. I've got to help him a little._

"That'll be no problem to complete." She said, clenching her fist in motivation. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to study. You have your notebook this time, right?" She checked.

"Yeah." He seemed to be a bit more relaxed again, and Asuna silently sighed with relief. She smiled, and he was just about to do the same.

However, he lost his footing somehow as he walked, and ended up stumbling forward. Before Asuna could react to reach out and help him, he fell forward, his knees splashing into a large puddle.

"K-Kirito-kun!" She could not keep the despair from her tone, and she could only gaze helplessly down at him.

"Ah... damn it..." Kazuto growled. Asuna winced as she saw his fists clench tightly, until his knuckles were white.

"Kirito-kun..." Asuna felt the burn of tears swelling up, but she forced them down.

She could tell he was at his limit. She knew his smile was just for show. She knew that right now he was really stressed out and on the verge of breaking down.

She knew what it was like to expect a day to be great, and then having the universe turn those expectations around on her in every way possible. She never wanted Kazuto to have to feel that terrible, sinking feeling. So she swallowed the bile in her throat and cleared her voice.

"Are...are you okay?" She steadied her voice as she knelt down beside him, picking up his drenched school bag. "Come on. We're almost at my house." She rubbed his shoulder gently before helping him up, yet his clothes were dripping wet, and his dark bangs hid his eyes from hers.

Asuna felt a chill when she saw the expression on his lips; it was a quiet frustration, on the borderline of insanity and falling apart. She looked away as she led him slowly to her house, biting her lip with force as she debated trying to speak again or not.

"I'll get you a change of clothes from Aniki's room, okay?" She said after removing her shoes by the door. "Just...just go on up to my room. I'll be there in a moment, okay?"

Without giving her any kind of response, Kazuto slowly trudged up the stairs in his damp socks, leaving Asuna to watch tensely.

_What am I doing_? Kazuto thought as he entered Asuna's room, sitting heavily down at the small kotatsu on the carpet. _I'm letting everything get to me. Now I've made Asuna feel bad, I'm sure. Why can't I keep it together? Damn it.. I'm pathetic. _

Grinding his teeth, he felt another surge of frustration crash over him. All of his troubles and misfortunes seemed to surge up all at once, crushing him slowly as the clock ticked on.

_Why am I so upset over this? It's so stupid..._

"Kirito-kun!"

Kazuto's eyes flew open as he heard her call his name.

Her voice was raised in a slight panic as she stood before him. Asuna carried a try with two teacups in her hands, and under one arm was a clean set of clothes for him.

But when Kazuto looked up at her, her eyes were distraught and her hands trembled. She shakily placed the tray on the kotatsu before falling to her knees weakly, the change of clothes scattering on the floor. Kazuto watched her, unable to ask what was wrong as she looked at him with silent torment.

But a second later, she threw her arms around his shoulders, and he understood.

It was not her usual, gentle embrace, but rather a tight, protective one. He heard her grit her teeth as she pulled his head to her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Kirito-kun..." she choked. "I'm sorry you've just been... having a terrible day. I'm sorry you have so much work to do..." Kazuto gasped softly as he listened to her strained words as she continued. "But you don't know how amazing you actually are. You work so hard all the time. I know how hard you try at everything you do. I know you've been stressed out the past several days and everything's just been going wrong. I know you're putting a lot of effort into this, and I just want it all to be okay. So... it'll... it'll be okay... alright? So...please... don't cry... I can't bear to see you like this... I'll always be here for you so just talk to me! If you need to cry, then please just... come to me... I'll be here..."

She was crying now, and as Kazuto blinked his eyes, he felt tears roll down his cheeks as well.

He had not even realized he had been crying from frustration, but now, hearing her say those words, that she acknowledged how hard he had been working and how much effort he had been putting into everything these past few days... it only caused the tears to flow faster.

"No..." she whimpered into his shoulder. "Kirito-kun, please...don't cry anymore..."

"It's okay, Asuna." He sniffed. "I'm okay now, thanks to you." He gently patted her back and Asuna slowly pulled away a little, just enough for them to be able to see each other's reddened, tearstained faces. "That's... that's the first time I've ever heard someone... acknowledge all my efforts. I guess I just...always wanted to hear those words. So... thank you." His lips curved up into a small, but genuine smile now, and his onyx eyes met her chestnut ones.

He could see that she was still trembling a little, from utter helplessness in not knowing what to do in order to help him feel better. It was the most terrible feeling ever, to be so helplessly unsure of what to do when the one you treasured most in the world was suffering.

She had offered to be with him and help him study, she had even brought him warm tea, and Kazuto had remained silent and depressed the entire time. He felt like a jerk now that he realized his sour attitude had caused her to be in such a painfully worried state, and so he embraced her this time.

"Thank you, Asuna." He repeated, hugging her strongly. "Thank you... for everything."

She was silent for a moment, her unsure fingers loosely clutching his shirt.

"Are... are you okay now?" She sniffed. "I know you were upset about a lot of things... But I just didn't know what I could do to help..."

"Silly. You've done more than enough. It just took me until now to appreciate it all."

He stroked her hair calmly for a moment before she gently pulled away. She lightly kissed his lips for a second, all of her desperation and prayers for him to feel better clearly expressed through her actions, and Kazuto kissed her back.

"You're sure you're okay now?" She confirmed, her eyes serious.

"Yeah." He smiled. "I promise I'm better now."

"Okay." She wiped her sleeve across her face before smiling brilliantly up at him. "Now then, go get changed and come back before your tea freezes, and we can begin studying!"

"Right!" He cheered, pumping his fist a little as he propped himself onto his knees. He then rested his hands on her shoulders and kissed her once more. "Thank you, Asuna." He whispered.

She kissed his cheek. "Don't forget, I'm always here for you." She breathed. "No matter the issue, no matter how trivial you think it might be, whenever you need me, I'll come running. I'll be your strength."

"Thanks. Me, too. I'll always be there for you."

"Thank you."

She moved up to press her forehead against his, and they both closed their eyes for a brief moment. A sense of understanding passed between them, as the final feelings of uncertainty ebbed away to be replaced by their usual familiarity and affection.

Asuna then opened her eyes and lightly nudged him with her elbow. "Now go change. Your tea is going to freeze!"

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it!  
**

**Please review!**


	28. Hectic

I don't know where this idea came from but enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.

* * *

Chapter 28. Hectic

"And that's everything!" Asuna showed a wide grin as she closed her textbook.

"W-Wait. Can we review just one more time?" Kazuto requested from where he sat across from her at the kotatsu.

"We just reviewed everything three times." She reminded him. "And to top it off, you got every question correct."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Plus, it's already 7PM." She cut him off as she glanced at the clock on her bedside table. "My parents will be home in an hour. You won't be able to stay here much longer. Plus," she added, frowning as she got a look at his face. "You look really exhausted, Kirito-kun."

"But it's the good kind of exhausted!" He exclaimed. She gave him a skeptical glance which urged him to continue. "You know, like right after a really good workout you feel kind of sore for the next few days, but it's a good kind of sore. There's a sense of accomplishment, and that soreness is proof of all your hard work. This exhaustion is the same kind of thing; it's proof of my hard work studying."

"Okay, okay." Asuna waved her hand dismissively. "You're hardly making any sense, silly." She stood and stretched her arms above her head, offering him a soft smile. "But I understand what you mean. You've worked very hard these past few days, so I'm glad you can feel accomplished. And you'll feel even better after you ace that exam tomorrow!" She curled her fingers into a triumphant fist.

"Right." He agreed, glancing up at her. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Oh stop it." She giggled.

She then bent down to pick up the empty plates from the kotatsu. After studying for a short while, Asuna had made them both some food, and now that they had finished their session, she gathered everything to clean up.

"I'll help." Kazuto began to stand but Asuna stopped him.

"I'll get the dishes. Could you pack up all the papers?"

"Sure." Kazuto yawned with a smile as he slowly began gathering their notes.

Asuna carried the dishes downstairs and cleaned them off in the kitchen sink before placing them in a rack to dry.

As she made her way back up the stairs she raised her voice a bit to call out to him. "Neh, Kirito-kun, should I walk home with you?" But by the time she reached the top of the stairs, she still had yet to hear a response.

"Kirito-kun?" She called again as she headed to her room. She then froze in the hallway just a step away from her door as a thought struck her. "K-Kirito-kun, if you're going to try to scare me, I have no control over what my reaction may be, whether it's reflexive punching or fainting, you know."

But even after her warning, there was still no reply.

Sucking in a deep breath, she cautiously stepped into her room, fully expecting him to jump out and frighten her, but what she saw instead made her sputter with laughter.

Kazuto, who had been in charge of packing up notes, was lying on his back on the floor with his arms above his head. His mouth was ajar and several sheets of paper lie scattered across his stomach. He was undoubtedly asleep.

Asuna could not help but giggle as she saw the humorous state he was in; it was evident he had leaned back to stretch his arms, decided to lie down, closed his eyes for what he imagine to be a moment, but was out cold within seconds.

Closing the door behind her, she knelt down beside her passed out boyfriend and began cleaning the papers off of him.

"Honestly..." she mumbled, but she looked at his sleeping face affectionately.

After cleaning their notes, she shifted closer to Kazuto and gently held his head in her lap. She played with his hair, running her fingers through the dark tresses and caressing his cheeks. She then leaned down over him as her hair spilled from behind her shoulders, creating a curtain surrounding them both. She kissed his cheek lovingly before sitting back up.

Making note of the time, she allowed herself to remain there a little longer, playing with his hair. _You definitely deserve a nap._ She thought, tracing her fingers atop the dark circles under his eyes.

Her legs had become numb, so she grabbed a pillow from her bed and placed it on the floor. She gingerly shifted Kazuto's sleeping body and let his head rest on the pillow as she stretched her legs out before her.

By then, it had been about ten minutes, so she forced herself to start rousing him from his sleep. "Kirito-kun~" she sang quietly. "It's time to get up. You've got to head home. I'll walk with you." She touched his shoulder as she leaned over him, but his eyes remained closed, his soft snoring continuing.

"I really feel bad about this, but it's getting late..." She muttered to herself before raising her voice again. "Kirito-kun~ Come on. Up we go!" She leaned over him but still he slept.

"Am I going to have to wake you like the prince wakes the princess?" She smirked.

But just as she leaned down toward his lips, she felt his arms suddenly around her back. She yelped as she was pulled downward on top of him, her surprised cry cut off when her lips collided with his. However, as he embraced her tightly in his sleep, Kazuto still did not open his eyes. Even as her lips crashed onto his, he did not flinch.

"M-Mmph!" Asuna managed to lift her face off of his. "T-This isn't exactly what I'd pictured..." she mumbled to herself. "But hey! How did you still not wake up after all that?" She asked incredulously to her passed out boyfriend. "Geez! Kirito-kun you should really wake up now! If you're playing around just say so!" She squirmed in his arms, but the way he kept snoring blissfully told her he was legitimately asleep. _How is is grip so strong?_ She wondered, bewildered. "Ah, geez..."

Twisting her head around a bit, she caught a glimpse of the clock. It was 7:30, and they still had half an hour before her parents arrived home.

The logical side of her was internally lecturing her that she ought to wake him up now so she had time to walk him home and still get back before her parents. Yet her emotional side overpowered that part of her as she stared down at his adorable sleeping expression.

"Fine. You win already." She mumbled.

She relaxed against him and shifted her weight, sliding off from on top of him to lie at his side, his arms still locked around her. As she lie there, listening to his airy snoring, Asuna nestled to his chest and allowed her own eyelids to fall.

_Just for a moment..._

* * *

Asuna's eyes fluttered open as her senses returned to her.

She felt warm hands on her back and a familiar scent wrapped around her.

It took her a minute to remember where she was, but as soon as she did, she gasped loudly.

"K-K-Kirito-kun!" She hissed. "Kirito-kun you've got to wake up, now!" Jolting up into a sitting position, she shook his shoulders.

Kazuto moaned as his eyes finally blinked open, confusion plain on his face.

"Huh...?"

"You've got to go now! Quickly!" She hurriedly helped him sit up, scrambling to grab his school bag and shoving it toward him.

"What? What's going on?" He yawned.

"There's no time! Just-"

"I'm home!" An all-too familiar phrase spoken by an all-too familiar voice echoed up from downstairs just then. It was the mature voice of a person who worked hard all her life and hardly let loose even in her own house. "Asuna, are you here?"

"Y-Yes! Welcome home, Mother!" Asuna called, tightly pressing her palm over a baffled Kazuto's mouth. Thinking quickly, Asuna called out again. "I already ate, but would you like me to help you prepare dinner?"

As she said this, she glanced fiercely over at Kazuto. Her eyes were a mixture of panic, distress, and a pleading urge that he would go along with her plan; if Asuna kept her mother occupied in the kitchen, she prayed Kauzto could somehow sneak out behind them.

"I'm going to shower first." Her mother replied curtly. "You can start preparing ingredients."

"S-Sure!" Asuna replied loudly before whipping back to Kazuto. "Okay just wait until she's in the shower and then you can get your shoes at the door and leave right away."

"G...Got it." He nodded as she removed her hand from his mouth. "Heh. This kind of feels like some cheesy romance film."

"Don't even jinx us like that. You know those scenarios never work out." She grimaced. "Just get ready." She handed him his bag and they both stood.

Asuna opened her door a crack and listened to the sounds of her mother moving about the house until at last she went into the bathroom. When the water started running, Asuna motioned silently to Kazuto and stepped quietly into the hallway. Treading on eggshells, they both made their way down the stairs.

Kazuto slipped into his shoes near the door, as Asuna breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at the exam." She grinned. "Let's ace it together!" She held out her pinky and Kazuto smiled, wrapping his pinky around hers.

"Right!"

"Then I'll see you to-" But suddenly, Asuna slammed her mouth shut immediately and fell silent.

"What-?"

"Shh!" Asuna held up her hand to silence him as she listened intently.

Without a doubt, Asuna could hear the sounds of a car in the driveway. Her heart leapt into her throat as she hastily grabbed Kazuto's sleeve and pulled him behind her.

"O-Oy Asuna what-?!"

"Get upstairs! My father's home! You can't leave this way!"

"W-What?"

"Just go!" She hissed, giving him a shove on his back. She dashed after him as he raced back up the stairs, but just then, the door opened.

"I'm home." As Asuna's father called out the obligatory phrase, Kazuto slipped on the top stair and fell. Asuna could not stop herself in time and she ended up crashing forward onto the steps as well.

"Asuna?" Her father raised his voice curiously. "Is that you?"

"Y-Yes!" She replied through gritted teeth as she shakily pushed herself up. "I-I just stumbled on the stairs. You surprised me, Father!" She laughed nervously as Kazuto managed to scramble up the remaining stairs into the temporary safety of the hallway, allowing Asuna to breathe a tiny sigh of relief.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Her father asked.

"N-No, I'm fine. I'll be back down in a minute!"

Without waiting for a reply, she jumped up the remaining steps and nearly slammed into Kazuto in the hallway when she reached the top. He grabbed her shoulders quickly before they collided, and they both took a minute to steady themselves. Kazuto swallowed loudly as he released his death-grip on her shoulders, and Asuna was trembling, her eyes flickering as she raked her brain for an idea.

"Oh my gosh. What are we going to do? They'll definitely get angry if they find out I invited you over without their permission..."

"Why don't we just try explaining it to them?" Kazuto suggested. "Surely they'd understand if it was for a study session."

"T...That might have been the case if we told them right from the start..." Asuna muttered. "But now that we've kept it hidden so long, it's useless." She admitted regrettably.

"I guess you're right." He bit his lip. "I couldn't possibly hide out in your room. My aunt is still expecting me back tonight, and I'd never be able to call her and suddenly tell her I'm staying here for the night."

"We've got no choice but to get you outside." Asuna confirmed. "For now, let's go back to my room."

They carefully walked back to Asuna's quarters, slowly as to not let the sounds of various footsteps resonate without the house too much.

Asuna closed the door behind her and pressed herself against it, leaning heavily as she exhaled. "I think my hair's going to turn gray." She wheezed.

Meanwhile, Kazuto's mind was hatching his own idea of escape.

"Hey, Asuna, how high up is your room?" He asked.

"Eh?" She blinked. "I'm on the second floor, of course. But why-" She stopped herself as it hit her. "W-Wait, Kirito-kun! Don't you dare jump out that window!"

"What other choice do I have?"

"No!" She grabbed his arm to restrain him.

"Let me just see how high up it is." As he requested this, he reached back with his free hand and poked her stomach, immediately causing her to shriek and let go of him.

Kazuto unhinged her window and opened it outward to observe the scenery. There was a tree very close to her window, and from there it was a very short drop down to the ground.

"This'll be fine." Kazuto nodded satisfactorily.

"N-No!" Asuna recovered, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes as she suppressed her giggles. "We have that exam tomorrow. I'm not letting you risk breaking your arm."

"That won't happen. See?" He pointed to the tree nearby, and Asuna peered over his shoulder to note what he was indicating. She was silent for a moment, as though calculating everything and playing it out in her mind.

At last, the stern look disappeared from her face.

"I guess that can work." She agreed.

"Good. Then I won't waste another second."

"Maybe just one more second?" She glance at him quickly and Kazuto smiled.

He stepped toward her and leaned down to kiss her warmly. Asuna allowed herself to lower her defenses and forget about the looming dangers of her parents for a moment as she let herself be absorbed by the contact.

They pulled apart soon afterward and Asuna cleared her throat. "Right. Leave your bag here. I'll toss it to you when you reach the ground." Asuna took his school bag from him and Kazuto climbed onto the window sill.

"Asuna?" Suddenly her mother's voice sounded from outside her room. "Are you coming to help prepare dinner or not?"

"Y-Yes! I'm sorry I'm just finishing some homework." She responded, waving Kazuto on. She was conflicted in having him rush but also take his time so he would not slip.

Kazuto easily managed to get ahold of the tree and held onto the trunk as he stood on a branch. Lowering himself, he crouched down to jump to the ground, and landed neatly.

Asuna finally let herself breathe for a second, but very nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the doorknob to her room turn.

"If it's homework you're troubled with...perhaps Mother can assist you." Asuna despaired that her mother was trying to be more helpful and understanding now of all times.

Realizing she was still clutching onto Kazuto's school bag, Asuna hurriedly leaned out the window. Her heart was beating harder than she could ever remember as her mother entered her bedroom at the same second Asuna dropped the bag into Kazuto's awaiting hands. He gave her a thumbs up and a swift wave before he tore off toward the street.

Her heart still thundering from the terror of being so nearly exposed, Asuna let out a long sigh.

"Asuna? What are you doing?" Her mother's voice sounded from behind her.

"E-Eh? Ah, well you see. It's just so nice out tonight." She quickly straightened up and whipped around to face her mother. "I just wanted some fresh air." She smiled.

"Hm." Pushing her glasses up onto her nose, her mother look Asuna over briefly before shrugging. "Anyway, come down and help with dinner. I'll assist you with any homework that's giving you trouble afterward."

"Yes." Asuna smiled, closing her window. "Thank you, Mother."

Crossing the room, Asuna headed downstairs after her mother, now feeling very exhausted after the predicament Yet, now that the danger of being exposed had passed, and the hectic ordeal was over, Asuna could not help but feel somewhat accomplished, similar to how Kazuto must have felt after being so exhausted from studying.

Smiling a bit to herself, she skipped down the last step into her kitchen. _I'm sure we'll both sleep well tonight._

* * *

**A/N: I didn't intend for it to be so long, but as I wrote, new scenarios just kept popping into my head, so I had no choice but to incorporate all of them!**

**Please review!**


	29. Stargazing

This idea kinda popped out of nowhere, as usual. I just rolled with it.

**ALSO**: Quick announcement. Next week I am going to an anime convention for the weekend, so I'll be posting next week's chapter a day early.

Disclaimer: I still do not own Sword Art Online.

* * *

Chapter 29. Stargazing

"Neh, neh! Did you hear about the meteor shower that's gonna happen tonight?"

"Eh? N-No I didn't..."

"What? It was all over the news!" Rika, Asuna, and Keiko spoke respectively as they walked through the school hallways.

"Really? It was?" Asuna was surprised. "I guess I ran out of the house before the news came on this morning." She admitted.

"Well anyway," Rika continued. "It's supposed to happen around 3AM, so we lucked out that tomorrow's Saturday."

"You should watch it with Kirito." Keiko sang, nudging Asuna's side with her elbow.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Rika chimed in with a grin. "Just don't get _too_ lovey-dovey." She nudged Asuna from the other side.

"W-Wait," Asuna protested nervously. "Can't we all go as a group? I don't think I could handle being alone with him in such a cliché situation."

"So what if it's cliché? This might be the only chance you get!" Rika exclaimed. "Plus your roof has that one section that's perfect for sitting on. And there aren't many trees, so you'd have a perfect view!"

"B-But, why can't we all just watch together?" Asuna asked feebly.

"Why are you suddenly getting all shy?" Keiko asked, pouting. "Just how long have you and Kirito been dating exactly? And you're going to get bashful _now_?"

"I guess you're right." Asuna admitted. "I just feel it's such a big event. And to be completely alone with him through the whole thing..."

"Ahh she's blushing!" Keiko squealed.

"W-Wha?! No I'm not!" Asuna hid her hands in her face as her two friends giggled.

They trio finally reached Asuna's classroom, and slid the door open to see her off. Kazuto looked up from his seat when he heard them, and leaned over with a smile when Asuna walked past him.

"What were you guys talking about?" He wondered before tilting his head to one side. "Hey, you're face is a little red." He noticed.

"Ah, i-it's nothing!" She waved her hands quickly. "R-Rather, Kirito-kun?" She leaned down a little closer to his desk and he straightened up as she said in a soft voice. "I need to talk to you after class."

"Sure thing. We'll be walking home together, as always." Kazuto agreed. Asuna nodded once before walking over to her seat.

A moment passed before the teacher entered the classroom, but just before the chatter in the room could die down, Asuna heard a familiar voice being raised above the din.

"Oh right, Asuna!" Kazuto called from his seat, drawing the attention of many students, as well as the teacher. Asuna looked up quickly and made eye contact with him. However, just as Kazuto spoke the second half of his sentence, the noise suddenly died down and he ended up shouting to her in a quiet room: "Want to watch the meteor shower together tonight?"

Twenty pairs of eyes were silently locked on Kazuto, who's mouth was frozen in a twitching smile now that he understood every soul in the room had heard him.

Then, everyone's gazes shifted expectantly to Asuna, who was wearing a similar expression to her boyfriend's. She shakily turned her head to see that even their teacher was eagerly awaiting her reply to such a passionate exclamation. The girl seated behind Asuna nudged her shoulder, encouraging her with shining eyes to answer Kazuto. Asuna's shoulders drooped a little as she sighed, but there was a smile on her lips.

"Idiot. I was going to ask you." She muttered. Then, she stood up and met Kazuto's eyes again. Taking a deep breath, she shouted back just as loudly as he had: "Of course I will, you dummy!"

The entire classroom then erupted into applause and cheers, as though they had just witnessed a proposal that got accepted. Asuna's face was flushed pink and her ears felt hot, but the huge grin Kazuto wore on his face was more than worth her embarrassment.

After the commotion had died down, the students took their seats, and class began, although a certain couple were the talk of the campus by lunchtime.

* * *

After school, Asuna and Kazuto headed home together as usual.

"I still can't believe what happened." Asuna said. "It kind of felt like some corny old movie or something."

"Yeah, but it worked out in the end, right?" He grinned.

"Yes." She nodded bashfully.

Kazuto left her with a small kiss outside her house and headed off to his own. He intended to change clothes and inform his family on where he would be that night.

His aunt seemed thrilled about the idea of him and Asuna watching the stars together, and Suguha had her own plans with friends as well.

Just as it was beginning to get dark outside, Kazuto headed out once again for the Yuuki residence.

When he knocked on the door, he was greeted by Asuna's stern-looking mother.

"G-Good evening!" He straightened up and looked directly into her eyes, wondering how he should explain his presence. "Um..."

"So you're here already?" She said, sounding like an uninterested customer condescendingly bargaining with a seller as she asked 'Oh, is that really the lowest you'll go?'

"Ah, I mean-" Kazuto knew fumbling for words in front of this woman was a huge blunder, but her appearance alone caused most other beings in the world to naturally cower.

"That's good." She said, almost as if shrugging in a bit of relief. "We had plans of our own this evening, so at least the thought of leaving our daughter here alone won't be as prominent a matter in the back of my mind." As she said this, her husband appeared at the door, ready to head out. "You're welcome to stay the entire night, so long as this house, and my daughter, are in immaculate condition when we return."

As she said this, Asuna's mother looped her arm around her husband's almost robotically, but at the same time as though she had been anticipating their date tonight for the entire month.

"Well then," her husband spoke for the first time as they walked past Kazuto. "We'll leave her in your hands, Kirigaya-kun."

"S...Sure." The boy replied, still a little dumbfounded that he was not as intimidated by the couple as he thought he should be.

And with that, Asuna's parents walked past him and headed to the car in the driveway, Asuna's mother muttering something about their daughter being able to take care of herself.

When the driveway was empty, Kazuto stood, still frozen in the open doorway until his senses returned to him. _I guess her parents have gotten a lot more understanding, despite their tough-looking exteriors._ He thought pleasantly.

"Ah, Kirito-kun!" Asuna's delighted voice directed his attention back to the house. "Isn't it lucky that they're leaving? Come inside, I made some tea." She gave a little twirl, sending her skirt aflutter as she led him into the living room.

The two of them enjoyed the tea and a few snacks, chatting for about half an hour. They then decided to log onto ALO for about an hour just to visit Yui and do trivial things before signing off again.

By then the sun had set, and Asuna opened her window (the very one Kazuto had escaped out of a few nights previous), allowing a warm breeze to flow into the room.

"Hm, what should we do for the next few hours?" Asuna wondered, glancing at her clock. "It's not even midnight yet..."

"We could sleep for a while, since we'll be up later for the shower." Kazuto suggested.

Asuna's face reddened a bit, but she nodded. "Y-Yeah. That sounds nice... I'll set an alarm so we'll wake up on time."

Turning off all lights except the lamp on her bedside table, Asuna sat on her bed and instinctively, Kazuto sat on the floor.

"K-Kirito-kun..." Asuna cleared her throat suggestively.

"Wha-? Oh..." He instantly realized that she was offering him to sleep next to her on her bed, a rare opportunity he might not see again any time soon.

Standing promptly, he sat down beside her and she leaned sideways to rest her head on his shoulder for a moment.

Then, the two of them stretched out their legs and laid down together, foreheads touching, as they dozed off to the sounds of the wind.

* * *

The sound of Asuna's alarm roused the cuddled couple several hours later.

The time was 2AM as they pushed themselves up from the bed, yawning and wiping the sleep from their eyes. "It feels so strange waking up at this hour." Asuna mumbled, stretching her arms out before her.

"I'll go get us some water." Kazuto offered, ruffling her bedhead as she pawed his arm away playfully.

When he returned, they drank the cold, refreshing water which assisted in waking them up further before Asuna led him to a small staircase at the end of the hallway, unlocking the door at the top. She opened it and a blast of fresh, night air rushed through Kazuto's hair.

There was a small, flat section of the roof, enough for probably about 4 people to fit comfortably, with a small rail on the three sides away from the door.

Asuna sat down patting the spot beside her, and Kazto happily accepted the invitation.

For a while, they sat up, leaning back against the closed door and looking out across the neighborhood. Streetlights gave off a diaphanous, orange glow that misted through the air, and a few houses were lit from the inside, but for the most part it was a familiar darkness that surrounded them.

Crickets chirped ceaselessly from every bush, and the warm wind continued to rustle the leaves above them. The skies were clear above with the silver half-moon being the center of attention, surrounded by countless bright stars like the souls of the departed.

Kazuto and Asuna spent a long while stargazing, quietly pointing out familiar constellations and connecting them like puzzle pieces.

After about an hour, Asuna suddenly let out a little gasp, and Kazuto inclined his head sideways.

"What is it?"

"Look." Asuna pointed above them, and Kazuto focused his gaze on a fraction of the sky. Several seconds later, a small, white line dashed across the sky in a perfectly straight line before disappearing a second later.

"Wow..." he murmured.

Asuna nudged him then as she laid down on her back, folding her hands over her stomach as though she were about to watch a movie. Kazuto did the same and laid down, locking his gaze on the night sky.

The meteor shower commenced, dozens of falling starts shooting before their eyes with each passing moment.

They watched the mesmerizing scene for almost twenty minutes until the sky was suddenly still again.

At last, they felt permitted to move, and pushed themselves back up.

"Wow. That was amazing." Kazuto said, rubbing his eyes.

"I've never seen anything like it." Asuna agreed. "Ah, but I was so focused on watching, I forgot to make any wishes!" She realized regretfully.

"Well I'm sure this won't be the last time we get to see them." He assured.

"You're right."

They stood, but as Kazuto was opening the door, Asuna's eye caught sight of one last meteor fading into the blackness. "Ah!" She quickly squeezed her eyes shut and made a wish.

"What? You saw another one?" He asked, dismayed he had missed it.

"Yep."

"So what did you wish for?"

"D-Dummy..." she muttered. "Don't make me say it."

"I want to hear." He pestered as they went back into the house.

"Y...You can probably guess..." she hinted.

"I can, but I still want to hear you say it." They came to a stop outside of her room as he turned to face her.

"Geez, fine!" Her entire face turned pink as she bowed her head out of embarrassment and said: "I wished to be together with Kirito-kun for the rest of our lives, and after that, too!" She declared. But before any amount of silence could follow, Kazuto had already pulled her in by the shoulders and kissed her warmly.

"Silly." He whispered as he pulled away. "That was a waste of a wish, because you know it's already for certain."

Asuna merely smiled as their hands came together.

A moment later, Kazuto opened the door to her room and Asuna tiredly sat down on her bed.

"That was so beautiful." Asuna trailed off dreamily. "If only every night could be like this..."

Kazuto smiled as she mumbled to herself, reminiscing on the occasion. "I'm just going to get some water." He announced before going downstairs.

When he came back up, Asuna was already curled up on her bed, fast asleep.

Kazuto turned off the lamp and crawled up beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in. He closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers, her soft breathing dancing on his cheek.

"But you know," he whispered to her sleeping form. "I wished for the same thing," he kissed her cheek one more time. "And I know it'll come true. That's for sure."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks as always, you guys! And don't forget, next week's chapter will be a day early!**

**Please review!**


	30. Little Family

**Hope you enjoy this week's early chapter, everyone! I made it a little longer as thanks for staying with me for _30 weeks_ of this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 30. Little Family

"Kirito-kun, left!"

"Got it!"

Upon Asuna's warning, Kirito spun left, his wings easily coasting on the twirl as he propelled himself forward.

The enemy Salamander who had thought he caught the Spriggan off guard screeched to a halt mid-attack as Kirito turned on him. Kirito dodged directly under his opponent's sword and delivered an upward strike, sending the Salamander stumbling back as his HP dropped to the yellow zone.

Glancing up swiftly, Kirito sought out Asuna, catching sight of her long, blue hair whipping through the treetops not far off. She charged directly into a group of three Salamanders without so much as a flinch as she twisted gracefully to avoid their blades. As she passed between them, she twirled in midair, scoring blows on all three of them almost simultaneously.

She straightened herself as she broke through their defenses, raising her rapier to their backs and readying herself for another attack.

But just before she could propel herself forward, one of the Salamanders raised his voice.

"Retreat!" He bellowed. His other teammates all clicked their tongues in annoyance as they turned tail and fled, Asuna and Kirito accordingly moving away to allow them their escape.

Just before they vanished off into the trees, the leader of the group turned back to glare at them. "Don't think you'll win the title of «longest-lasting couple». My girlfriend and I will be winning for certain." And with that, he turned and vanished into the shadows after his companions.

Kirito and Asuna sheathed their blades at last, flying over to one another in the middle of the canopy where their battle had just taken place. The «Remain Light» of one of the Salamanders they had defeated still burned red, hovering in the air.

"Geez. What a pain." Kirito muttered as he reached her, observing her stats and HP to see if she required any healing.

"But you can't blame them too much, can you?" Asuna herself got to work on a quick healing spell to restore his HP. "It does sound kind of neat, to be the couple to survive the longest together in all of ALO without having their HP drop completely and being sent back to a save point."

Recently, such a term as «longest-lasting couple» had arisen within the Alfheim community. It had started from a group of girls who had been discussing how nice it would be to be the longest to survive in the game with their respective partners. Somehow, the idea had grown quite popular, enough that almost every couple, married or not, had been eager to prove they could remain together the longest. If even one of the partners got their HP bar depleted, the couple was 'disqualified'.

Of course, it was not an actual tournament within the game, but just a competition the players had shown interest in. Even Kirito and Asuna had decided to do their best to see how far they could get, considering neither could even recall the last time their avatar had been killed and they had to begin over at a save point.

"I don't think I even remember what it's like to hit the red zone." Asuna mused.

"Me either." Kirito agreed. "Ah, Yui, you can come out now." He poked the breast pocket of his shirt and a second later, the little pixie popped out.

"That was a long battle." She yawned. "I might have fallen asleep if not for all the spinning Papa did!"

"Sorry about that." He said sheepishly.

"No, no." Yui waved her little index finger at him. "It wasn't Papa's fault. Those Salamanders ambushed us for no reason!" She pouted. "I don't care how badly they want to win, they can't just go pouncing on people without warning!"

"Well actually they can..." Kirito chuckled.

"But it's still mean!" She declared firmly.

"I guess it's something people really want to prove," Asuna guessed. "That they're able to protect and fight alongside their partner longer than anyone else. I can understand that a little..." She murmured with a shy glance at Kirito. He caught her eyes and nodded back.

"Anyway, let's head back home." He suggested. "I'm starving."

"Me, too." Asuna agreed.

"Neh, Papa, Mama! Can we do _that_ again?" Yui piped up, excitedly flitting back and forth between their faces.

"Right now?" Kirito glanced at their surroundings thoughtfully. He waved his hand and drifted off a little and Asuna and Yui followed until he was satisfied with their location.

He made sure there were hardly any trees beneath them and that they could see the light green grass below. "Okay. Ready?" He and Asuna both extended their arms toward Yui who eagerly got in between them.

"Here I go!" She announced gleefully.

A soft, glowing light enveloped her swiftly, and a few seconds later, she had reverted to her normal size, her white one-piece dress never having changed even since the days of the old Aincrad. As Yui lost her wings, Kirito and Asuna each held onto one of her arms.

"Set...go!" Asuna gave the cue, and both she and Kirito stopped moving their wings simultaneously.

The three of them then gradually began to fall toward the ground, and the rush of air flying up at them sent their hair whipping up toward the sky. Yui giggled and her parents shared a smile as their little family was momentarily suspended in free-fall.

The tall trees and their yellow-green leaves melted into a blur as they aimed for the ground. Then, just before they reached it, Asuna and Kirito began to flap their wings once again, picking up on an air current slowly in order to allow a gentle landing.

At last, Yui's bare feet reached the grass safely, and her parents let go of her arms before landing beside her.

"That was so much fun!" Yui cheered.

"Much more fun than last time when Papa forgot to slow down at the end and brought all three of us crashing down together." Asuna recalled teasingly.

"H-Hey, I did it correctly this time, didn't I?" He muttered, still bitter about his former mess-up.

"Yes, you did." She acknowledged, playfully kissing his cheek. "Now, do you want to walk back home?"

"Yeah, it's not far. Let's just walk."

He and Asuna called off their wings which promptly dissipated into the air in a collage of pixels. They then each took one of Yui's hands and began walking home, and since they were still on the 22nd floor of the New Aincrad, their nostalgic house was not far off.

Yui swung her arms back and forth happily as they made their way through the forest, smiling and giggling all the way. Her feelings of glee easily reached the people holding her hands, and they could never help but smile as well whenever Yui was so content.

With the outlined shape of their house just in the distance, Asuna had grown far too relaxed, but it was just a moment too late when she realized she had let her guard down.

Suddenly, the map of the area at the corner of her vision began to flash red as the enemies appeared from behind them. The ambush settings went off just as the attackers made their move.

Asuna could only turn around so quickly to see them charging, on foot, from behind them. _W-What is going on? Two ambushes in one day? And by the same group? They followed us!? _It was the very Salamanders they had just fended off, only the companion Kirito had reduced to a «Remain Light» was back on his feet.

They were already only steps away, and Asuna had no time to think, so she let her body move on instinct, immediately shielding Yui with her own body.

Kirito noticed the ambush as it happened as well, and quickly turned around to meet it. Yet there was not enough time for either of them to draw their weapons as the Salamanders charged, shouting all the while, their swords pointed forward. Even on the spur of the moment, Kirito could judge the distance between their blades and himself, and he knew there was no chance of him drawing his swords on time, let alone defending with them.

Therefore, he did what came naturally and opened his arms wide, throwing himself in front of Asuna and Yui.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna gaped.

"Asuna, take care of Yui!"

This was all he managed to say before the six blades of the Salamanders cut into him all at once.

Asuna's eyes widened as all movement stopped for a moment, and she witnessed the borderline terrifying scene of Kirito disappearing before her eyes.

For a second, she was petrified with terror, her heart pounding hard as it often did during times of exhilaration, only this time it was painful. Her mind went blank as she was suddenly brought back to the days of Sword Art Online nearly four years ago, and the fear that she might never see him again struck her hard.

However, the bright red glimmer of a «Remain Light» appeared before her a moment later, reminding her that Kirito had merely been sent back to his last save point. Asuna allowed herself to breathe again, still clutching Yui close to her chest.

"Good job." The leader of the Salamander ambush spoke to his men. "Now there's no way they can win the title."

Upon hearing those smug words, a flash of rage surged up within Asuna.

"Mama...?" Yui's voice was small as she looked up at Asuna.

"Ah, don't worry, Yui-chan. Papa's fine. He's back at home now. Guess he beat us there."

"Mm-mm." Yui shook her head. "I know Papa's okay. But are you okay, Mama?"

"Hm?" Asuna glanced down at her daughter with a calm expression. "Ah, yes. Mama's just fine. But I'm going to have to punish those meanies for what they just did to Papa. So stay here and wait for me, okay?"

"Okay." Yui nodded eagerly. Asuna let her go, and Yui quickly dashed to hide behind a tree.

Confirming she was safe, Asuna then stomped her heel into the ground and refocused her full attention on the other six people standing before her.

"Oy." She spoke in a manner she very rarely used, so much so that it felt foreign to her. Yet at the same time, it only felt natural right about now.

"Hrm?" The leader who had begun to trudge away with his team turned back to look at her. "Don't worry. We only wanted to get rid of the big-shot. We have no business in harming women and children."

"Oh, is that so?" Asuna's eyes were concealed by the shadows of her blue bangs. "Then perhaps you wouldn't mind explaining to me why you ambushed a woman and child walking happily and peacefully alongside that person you just killed?" Her hand slowly reached across her hip and gripped the handle of her rapier, which she drew out of its sheath slowly, threateningly. "That seemed like an awfully _cowardly_ thing to do, if you ask me." She spat, her tone low and her voice a dreadfully calm combination of wrath and fury.

"It...It doesn't matter how we do it, so long as we achieve our goal-" The leader took several steps backward as Asuna advanced, one violent step at a time, the dirt beneath her boots kicking up large clouds each time she moved.

"Is that so?" At last, she stopped before him and snapped her head up to glare into his eyes. He let out an involuntary shriek as her burning gaze pierced through his.

"In that case, I hope you're prepared to die for your goal as well." Without so much as another word, she jabbed her rapier through his torso once. But even a direct his this close up would not turn him into a «Remain Light», therefore Asuna retracted her blade and jabbed it back through seven or eight more times until her dumbfounded opponent had vanished into a pathetic red glow.

The other five party members merely stood in fear as their strong leader was killed in a matter of seconds before their eyes.

Asuna retracted her blade and then directed her furious gaze on the remaining people, the only female of which she assumed to be the leader's girlfriend. "Normally, I'd just let you guys run..." She raised her rapier to her shoulder then, bending her knees in the stance preparing for a charge. "But the settings are still considered to be a battle, so I won't be penalized." Crouching low, she dug her heels into the ground. "Plus, I'm a little upset right now, so you'd better prepare yourselves."

Even though she had kindly given them fair warning, not a single muscle moved in the Salamander party. It appeared they had all acknowledged they had committed a sly trick to attack a carefree family for no good reason, and they accepted the gravity of those consequences.

Or perhaps they were simply too terrified to move.

Either way, Asuna was sure this group would not be causing her family trouble again any time soon.

Her motions were almost wolflike as she charged forward, swiftly, gracefully, yet full of the intent to defeat her adversaries at all costs. Yet she made sure not to do any overkill, something Kirito had taught her when they had first met, before they even knew one another's names, and she had never forgotten it ever since.

A moment later, six red «Remain Lights» fluttered helplessly in the forest, and the final figure standing sheathed her blade. She exhaled a long breath, dispelling the last of her anger before turning back around. Yui peeked from behind a tree, appearing to be stunned.

A sinking feeling instantly crashed over Asuna. _What if I've frightened her now, going all-out like that?_

"Yui...chan?" Asuna reached out her hand uncertainly, hesitating to move any closer.

However, it appeared what she had thought to be fright in her daughter's eyes was actually bewilderment.

"Wow! Mama!" Yui ran out from her hiding place and threw herself at Asuna. Asuna caught her quickly and tightly, breathing a sigh of relief. "That was _amazing_! I can't remember the last time I saw you like that! I bet those guys'll run in fear if they ever see you again!"

"Let's hope so." She chuckled. "Now come on. We should go meet Papa!"

Asuna quickly lifted Yui into her arms and called out her wings, wasting not even a second before she took off to cover the distance remaining between the forest and their house. It only took several seconds for Asuna flying to reach the front door, and she let Yui down before entering.

"Kirito-kun!" She called out, a little breathless.

"Yo." He gave a reluctant wave, as it appeared he had just been restored fully in the middle of their living room. "That was a pretty low blow they landed. Guess we won't be getting that title after all." He muttered, a little regrettably.

"Well neither will they." Asuna informed him smugly.

"Woah...really? _All_ of them?" He blinked, comprehending the meaning behind her words.

"Yeah...kinda..."

"Damn. That's my girl." He said proudly.

"You should have seen her, Papa!" Yui chimed in enthusiastically. "They couldn't even move because they were so intimidated!" She bounced up and down excitedly as she spoke boastingly about Asuna.

"I'll bet they were." Kirito chortled.

At that point, Asuna finally closed the distance between herself and him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"That was a little scary..." she sighed softly.

"Sorry." He murmured, hugging her back.

Asuna breathed a sigh of relief as his familiar comfort embraced her. She then slid one arm away from his shoulders and extended it to Yui, who quickly cuddled in beside her, hugging them both.

They were all thinking the same thing; this really was the best feeling. They were only truly complete when the three of them were together, and like pieces of a puzzle, none of them were ever complete when one was missing.

"Ah," Kirito sounded like he had just remembered something. "So are the two of you okay?"

"Yes." Asuna nodded.

"Of course!" Yui beamed. "Mama protected me, just like she promised." But then, she tilted her head sideways and her clear eyes appeared slightly confused.

"What is it, Yui-chan?" Asuna asked, suddenly concerned.

"I just don't understand why you would do something like that." The girl replied. "Mama immediately protected me, and Papa shielded me from them after that, and even got killed. But I'm not a player. I'm just an AI, so I won't ever disappear completely. So why would you do something like that? You even lost the chance to win that title..."

Her parents' eyes widened a little in surprise as they quickly shared a glance between them before gazing fondly back at Yui.

"Silly," Asuna hugged her closer. "We don't care about the title."

"But still!" Yui went on. "I'm just an AI..."

"Don't say that!" Both Kirito and Asuna instantly said that with passion, causing Yui to blink in shock.

"Isn't it obvious why we would do what we did?" Asuna asked more gently now, smiling as she kissed Yui's head.

The girl looked up into Asuna's eyes then, nodding once before she buried her face into Asuna's dress.

Kirito then embraced them both, kissing them each in turn as he pulled them closer, and whispered lovingly:

"It's because we're family, of course."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all so much for supporting me for 30 weeks straight! I wouldn't have been able to come this far if not for all your loyal support, kind words, and ideas! I'll continue to do my best and be consistent with updates!**

**Please review!**


	31. Carnival

**Rolling with any idea that comes to mind, hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

* * *

Chapter 31. Carnival

"Neh~ Are you ready yet?"

"You just asked me 10 seconds ago!"

"Yes, well that should have been enough time for you to get ready."

"Now look here..." Kazuto mumbled this under his breath as he unruffled the fresh shirt he had just changed into after discarding his school uniform onto his bed. "It's totally okay for her to take half an hour to get ready, but when I need 5 minutes, we're suddenly the most monochronic people in the world..."

"What was that?" She called from outside his room.

"Nothing!" He sang back.

Finished primping his clothes, he then focused on combing his hair a little before making sure he looked presentable.

An annual carnival was visiting the town for the weekend, and Kazuto and Asuna had instantly made plans to attend once they had heard the news.

Asuna, having been overly excited about going with him, had shown up at his house twenty minutes before the designated meeting time, fast-forwarding his preparation time and forcing Kazuto to get ready even quicker. He had wanted to put more thought into his clothes, but when his aunt had called up to him that Asuna had arrived, he settled on simple black pants and a navy blue shirt and hastily began to change. _Well no matter._ He thought. _I guess this just means we'll have a bit more time to enjoy the carnival together._

At last he finished fixing himself up, grabbed his wallet, shoved it in his pocket, and opened his door.

"Alright, I'm read-" His words died on air as he got his first glimpse of Asuna that evening.

In complete contrast to the usual gray school uniform, she now wore a light pink dress that fluttered loosely to her knees. Soft, white lace bordered the sleeves and collar, and her matching white socks ran up to where her dress ended above her knees. Her glossy chestnut hair was tied to one side in a messy bun, a good half of her tresses spilling onto her shoulder. A pink flower hair clip sat above her ear, and a small autumn-yellow purse hung at her hip, and a familiar heart-shaped necklace complimented her collarbones.

Kazuto's first thought was that she must be at the wrong house, as there was no way such a beautiful girl could be waiting to go out with him. Then, as reality sunk in, he remembered to close his hanging jaw and thank the gods that she was, in fact, there to see him.

"Wow..." He finally managed to stutter. "Asuna, you look...where do I begin?"

"Eh? W-What this old thing? It's not really that-"

"Adorable."

"Eh?"

"Cute, perfect, incomparable, baffling," Kazuto babbled on adoringly as he stepped closer to her, finally taking her hand. "Asuna you're just...beautiful."

"Ah... I..." Her cheeks turned the same color as her dress as she shyly stepped back, but Kazuto pulled her forward again, smiling with a genuine affection that made her heart tremble. Asuna bowed her head, too bashful to meet his gaze now. "T-Thank you..."

A moment passed as Kazuto gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. He then wordlessly leaned forward and kissed her cheek gingerly.

"Shall we head out?" He asked quietly.

"Mm." Asuna merely nodded.

She followed him to the front door as they slipped into their shoes before walking out into the warm evening together.

Asuna's shyness soon melted into the golden sunlight, and within minutes, she was nearly skipping beside him as they headed toward the local park. Dozens of people were also heading in the same direction, and seeing the familiar scene reminded Kazuto of his childhood. The carnival had been set up around this time every year for as long as he could remember, and his family had never missed a year in attending. However, this would be his first year going with his lovely girlfriend.

"Neh, Asuna, have you ever been to this carnival before?" he wondered.

"Only once before." She recalled.

"Really?" He could not help but blurt it out. "Sorry. It's just I've been coming here my whole life. It's kind of hard to imagine only coming once before."

"You came every year? That's wonderful! I bet you have a lot of fun memories right?" Her eyes lit up with delight as she imagined a younger Kazuto attending the carnival with his aunt and little cousin. "I came two years ago, just before SAO. It was with a few friends from school, but it was raining that evening, so most of the stalls were closed and we had to leave early." She sounded a bit regretful at first, but then perked up. "But it was the first year I could convince my parents to let me go, so I feel it was a personal victory more than anything else."

"Well I'll be sure to make this one of your most memorable evenings." Kazuto promised, tightly holding her hand and tugging her closer to him.

"I'll try my best, too." She replied.

"_Any_ time I spend with you is one of my most memorable times." He spoke softly.

"Oh, you. That deserves a kiss." Asuna bounced up a little and pressed her lips to his cheek briefly before pulling away. "Come on, we're almost there!" Quickening their pace, the couple hurriedly bounded toward the park which was growing livelier by the minute.

The annual carnival consisted of various rides that could be built and taken apart within a few days, therefore they were somewhat smaller than the rides at official parks. There was an abundance of spinning type rides that ran at incredible speeds, along with a very small roller coaster, and a miniature ferris wheel.

The golden-orange colors of the sunset blended into the scenery, giving it a truly festival-like atmosphere as the small food stands sent a wafting aroma through the air. Though the sites were familiar to Kazuto, Asuna stared in bewilderment for a moment until she could take everything in.

"So what do you want to do first?" Kazuto asked.

"I don't know... There's just so much!" She exclaimed as she glanced at the aisles of game booths set up around the perimeter of the park.

"In that case, how about we start with testing our aim?" Suggesting this, Kazuto pointed toward a shooting game.

"Sure!" Enthusiastically, Asuna pulled him over to the booth.

Kazuto paid for one round of ping-pong balls and loaded the first into the toy gun he was provided with. The prizes to shoot at were a series of stuffed animals ranging in size from plushie-sized to keychain-sized. _Obviously getting a larger one is almost impossible, considering the force the gun shoots with and the weight of the balls. However, I'm confident in my abilities!_

Aiming at a large teddy bear plushie, Kazuto fired the first ball at the base of the toy, causing it to slide back toward the edge of the shelf. He successfully achieved the same results with the second shot, and save his final to aim for the head. The last white ball grazed the bear's ear, pushing it backward just enough to knock it off the shelf.

Kazuto hardly had the time to feel satisfied with himself as the owner of the booth said "Congratulations!" before another prize was shot off the shelf next to the one he had just won. _Whoa! Sure, getting a large toy in 3 shots isn't that easy, but having the precise aim to get such a small keychain on one shot? That's impressive._

The owner again said "Congratulations!" to the other person, and Kazuto turned to his right to commend that person as well.

"Nice sho-ah..."

"Thanks!" Asuna smiled.

"Eh? That was you?"

"Yep! I paid for my own round while you were busy focusing." She stuck her tongue out a little, knowing how he hated when she paid for herself when he was around.

"Of course it would be you." He chuckled to himself, not knowing what else he was expecting.

In the end, Kazuto was awarded the bear plushie as Asuna received the three smallest keychains the game had to offer, each in the shape of a different flower.

"Here." Naturally, Kazuto handed the bear over to her.

"Aw, thank you!" She squealed, hugging it to her chest. "I think I'll give these to Liz, Silica-chan and Suguha-chan." She decided, placing all of her spoils into her purse.

The two of them then proceeded to the rides.

First, they got onto one of the fast-spinning ones, sitting next to one another as the machine began to rotate slowly. At first, the pace was controlled at a fair speed, but soon not only was it twirling rapidly, but also moving up and down.

The air was soon filled with shrieks and shouts from the people riding, not excluding Kazuto and Asuna as they were hurled into the maximum speed. Screams of laughter and sheer exhilaration cracked the peaceful evening air over the din of the carnival until the ride finally slowed to a stop.

Kazuto and Asuna were unbuckled from their spots, but remained sitting for a while longer as they got their bearings. Asuna's hair was completely flipped to one side, the neat bun she had put so much effort into completely destroyed. Kazuto's hair was also blasted all in one direction, and it took them several minutes to stand properly.

"That was insane..." he laughed.

"I may have lost a year on my life, but it was worth it." She agreed.

They held onto one another as they made their way back onto the grass, swaying and chuckling as they stumbled with just about every step.

After making their way over to a bench, the two sat down heavily, still catching their breaths a little as they leaned sideways onto the other's shoulders.

"You okay?" Kazuto glanced sideways, reaching out to un-ruffle her hair as best he could.

"Yeah..." She panted. "Just give me one more minute."

"I'll go get us some food. Wait here."

As Kazuto walked off somewhat shakily, Asuna went to work on redoing her tangled hair. By the time she had finished and he returned with two caramel apples, she was still a bit disheveled, but settled for this appearance over her previous one.

She gratefully accepted the apple Kazuto handed her and they ate slowly together, all the while fixing one another's slightly crooked clothing or frizzy hair.

When they had finished, Kazuto took her hand and helped her to her feet. "What's next?" He asked.

Asuna looked around thoughtfully as she contemplated. The first ride had taken some of her energy, but she still felt the need for a bit of a rush.

"How about that?" She pointed to the small roller coaster.

"I was thinking the same." He agreed.

The second ride was a simple roller coaster with no loops or backward motions. The track was just a series of rises and dips as the cart moved forward, but it was still fairly fast. They laughed and shouted delightedly as they took off, the air rushing past them and blurring the scenery into a mixture of colors.

They went around the track about ten times before the final lap gradually slowed to a halt. Kazuto let out a small chuckle as he caught a glimpse of her.

"You might want to fix your hair again." He informed her.

"Ah... maybe the next ride can be a little slower?" She laughed a bit airily. "I think I'm at my limit for speed tonight."

"I hear you." Kazuto ran his fingers through her hair and fluffed it up a little to loosen the knots. "How about the ferris wheel for our last ride?"

"Perfect."

The couple made their way over to the line for the ferris wheel, which was much slower-moving indeed. But as the line moved forward, Asuna felt it was a bit higher up than she had first anticipated.

"What's wrong?" Kazuto asked when she stopped stepping forward.

"It's just... it seems a bit high..." she murmured.

"What? Since when has that ever been a problem for you?"

"I-I don't know. I've never been on one before..."

"But you shoot at top speed over all of the World Tree when you're flying in ALO." He reminded her.

"That's different..."

"You'll be fine." He assured her. "Besides..." This time, he trailed off, looking downward briefly and scratching his cheek. "I wanted to ride it with you..." He said quietly.

His words caused Asuna to immediately change her attitude toward the ride.

"O-Okay! Let's go!" Grabbing his hands with both of hers, she tugged him forward onto the platform.

The ferris wheel had only a wide seat and a safety bar at each station, meaning there were no walls or ceiling to keep away the fresh air and warm sunlight.

Asuna shakily sat down beside Kazuto and gripped the safety bar tightly as the ride moved forward and halted to let more people on. They rose higher and higher each minute, and Asuna closed her eyes and scooted closer to him.

"Hey, why are you so nervous?" He wondered, nudging her slightly. She squeaked and jumped from the slight tickling sensation, but then instantly pressed to his side again when she remembered how high up she was.

"L-Like I said, I've never been on one before..." She stammered. "Neh, i-it won't go fast, right?"

Resisting the urge to mess with her, Kazuto grinned. "No, it won't." He replied. "Look we're moving now."

As he spoke, their seat rose higher and higher, and soon they could see the entire carnival beneath them. Asuna whimpered unintentionally, but blinked one eye open as Kazuto wrapped an arm around around her shoulders protectively. "It's okay. See?" He whispered as he kissed her cheek gently.

At last, she blinked her eyes open to fix her gaze on his. His onyx irises were alit with joy and a calming affection that instantly caused her worries to dissipate.

He then led her gaze forward, out over the crowds of people below them. Past the strong smells of the festival food, the fresh scents of the summer flowers could be detected. A smile formed on her lips as Asuna forgot her troubles and focused on the scene before her. _That's right. This is summer. One of my few chances to start spending more time with Kirito-kun. I can't worry about silly things. I've got to make the absolute most of it._

She shifted closer to him as the ferris wheel went around again and again, each round becoming more enjoyable. Therefore, when the ride slowed and began letting people off, Asuna was a little disappointed.

"Do you want to ride again?" Kazuto asked, noticing her regretful eyes.

"No, that's okay." She smiled. "We can just come again next year, right?"

He smiled back. "Right."

Together, they stepped off the ride and back onto solid ground. Holding hands, they began heading home together through the thinning crowds of people.

"That was a lot of fun, Kirito-kun." Asuna squeezed his hand. "Thank you so much for taking me with you."

"Of course. I'm glad you had fun."

As they breached the groups of people and got back onto the less crowded sidewalk, Kazuto turned to her and placed his hands onto her shoulders.

They kissed for a long moment, expressing all that could not be spoken in words until the need for air pulled them apart.

"So we've got the whole summer ahead of us." Asuna mused. "I wonder what we should do."

Kazuto grinned as he fixed the flower hair clip above her ear. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

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**A/N: What to do indeed. I guess we'll find out next week!**

**Please review!**


	32. Flowers And Pocky

**Happy summer solstice! (At least where I am). Enjoy the longest day of the year and read this chapter outside!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 32. Flowers And Pocky

"Neh, tell me," Asuna coaxed as she bounded along beside Kazuto. "Where are we going for our first date of the summer?"

"I already told you that you'll have to wait and see." As he had been all morning, Kazuto refused to give in.

"Fine." She sighed, admitting defeat. "I was just hoping that if I kept asking, you might slip up, but I guess that's not happening."

"Nope."

Since today was the first day of their summer vacation, the two of them were going on a date to celebrate. It was warm outside, but not enough to be considered hot, so Kazuto wore his usual dark attire while Asuna contrasted nicely with a bright teal dress, white socks and matching shoes. The white sunhat atop her head was what really gave her outfit the summer feeling.

Holding the bag on her shoulder with one hand, she happily grasped Kazuto's with the other hand as she followed him along the sidewalk. He had warned her it would be at least a 20 minute walk to their destination, but the cool breeze made it so the sunlight hardly affected them.

They walked along the side of the street that led directly from Asuna's neighborhood. Asuna was quick to realize they were headed toward the local park, but wondered briefly why it had Kazuto so eager to get her there. Yet she asked no questions as she followed at his side, letting the warm light soak into her skin and cause her hair to glisten.

Kazuto allowed himself to stare for a while, marveling at her indescribable beauty. She looked perfect wherever she was, be it in a professional environment like school, or even a much less formal one such as nature. Even in-game, Asuna's appearance always seemed to top all others, and he was sure his thinking was unbiased. He had noticed long ago that every scene in every world seemed to have been designed to compliment her captivating beauty.

Asuna caught him staring and playfully stuck her tongue out at him, which caused Kazuto's cheeks to turn pink as he looked ahead instead.

When they finally reached the park, Kazuto led her along the little dirt path they had treaded many times before. It led to a shimmering lake teeming with shining fish. A fountain burst from the center of the water, sending a refreshing mist to them on the wind. They closed their eyes an relished the cleansing sensation for a moment before continuing.

Several flowers popped up between boughs of grass, and Asuna knelt down to breathe in the gentle scent. Kazuto knelt down beside her and plucked a buttercup from the group, dusting off the bit of dirt on the stem with his finger before beckoning her forward. He tucked a section of her tresses behind her ear before securing the flower there.

"Perfect. Just like you." He announced.

Asuna's heart skipped a beat as she hid her face momentarily. She had nothing else to say in return other than a shy, "T-Thank you..."

Kazuto grinned widely as he stood, offering her his hand and helping her back up.

They continued their walk, this time through a patch of trees. This was when Kazuto started to get eager.

Usually, on the other side of the trees, a large field of grass capable of fitting hundreds of people awaited. But he had heard plans had been made to change that this summer, and now he could only pray the park caretakers had decided to stick to that decision.

As they reached the end of the small forest, his smile widened as he saw that they had.

Instead of the green fields spreading out before them, instead there was now a massive collage of colors. Flowers of all kinds blossomed in newly-placed soil, popped up from bushes, and swayed in the breeze. Butterflies flittered all around, moving from plant to plant, and the entire clearing was filled with a simplistic atmosphere that could only be observed in a garden.

Kazuto let his eyes adjust to the bright colors before turning to Asuna, chuckling when he saw her jaw slack with awe.

"Um...Asuna?"

"Hold on I'm not done looking yet..." she muttered, her hazel eyes still dazzled by the assortment of various flowers. "I can't believe it. It's absolutely beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Azaleas, rhododendrons, tulips, roses, sunflowers, rudbekia..." She trailed off, listing the names of every flower she could identify. "Did you know they were turning it into a garden, Kirito-kun?" She asked, though her eyes were still fixated on the flowers.

"I heard rumors." He replied. "But since it meant getting to see that look on your face, I'm really glad they came through with it."

"Yeah. Me, too." She still sounded baffled, but it seemed the scenery was finally sinking in. "Thank you, Kirito-kun. This was a wonderful surprise."

"You brought a sheet, right?" He asked.

"Ah, right! So that's why you told me to bring one. I assumed it would be a picnic but not in such a lavish garden!"

She opened her handbag and took out a tightly-folded blue sheet. There were several other couples within the garden, but Kazuto and Asuna managed to find a nice spot a little ways away from the other people. They laid out their sheet on the grass in an area surrounded on all sides by freshly-bloomed flowers.

As they sat down, a monarch butterfly flew in between them and landed on the blanket, and they took turns gently stroking its delicate wings before it fluttered off again.

"Oh wow..." Asuna sighed again. "This is just so unbelievably beautiful."

"Stop talking about yourself."

"Y...You are just..." Asuna hid her flushed cheeks for a second before playfully pushing Kazuto who laughed at her reaction.

"Well then, shall we have lunch?" Kazuto suggested.

"We shall." Asuna beamed. But when she reached to her side, her fingers brushed over her handbag and nothing more. "Eh...? W-Where's the picnic basket?"

She fell silent.

"...C...Could it be...?" Kazuto muttered.

"I'm sorry!" Asuna cried. "I must have forgotten it at home! How could I not have noticed I wasn't carrying it all this time?" She wailed in dismay.

"W-Well it's fine." Kazuto reassured her. "We can just eat when we get home."

"But you set up such a nice surprise for me here...and we can't even eat lunch now..." If she were a dog, her ears and tail would certainly be drooping.

"It's not a big deal." He shrugged with a smile. "It just means we'll have to come back some other time."

Asuna blinked once before smiling again.

"You really know just what to say to cheer me up." She said fondly. Leaning over toward him, she gently pecked his cheek. "Ah! That's right! I do have one thing." Flipping back to her other side, she dug into her handbag as Kazuto peered curiously over her shoulder.

"What do you have?" He wondered.

"This!" With a triumphant voice, Asuna presented him with a pink, rectangular box.

"That's... Pocky?" He tilted his head.

"Yep! Of course it can't make up for forgetting lunch, but it's still something, right?"

Opening the box, she pulled out two sticks and offered him one. Kazuto accepted and sat cross-legged as he munched on the candy.

For a while, he allowed himself to be lost in his surroundings, gazing at the colorful flowers, and occasionally at his girlfriend who was also still marveling the gardens.

It was only when they had nearly finished the box of Pocky when Kazuto realized what an idiot he was.

"Ah!" He coughed as he choked on his Pocky.

"W-What is it?" Asuna instantly began patting his back.

"W-What are we doing, eating Pocky like this?" He said, incredulously.

"Eh...?"

"There's a much better method of eating Pocky between two people who are dating, right?"

"...S...So you were thinking about it, too...?"

"How many are left?"

"Three."

"Good enough." He nodded.

Asuna pulled out one stick of Pocky and hesitantly held one end in her mouth. Kazuto slid closer to her and bit onto the other end. Their eyes locked instantly and Asuna panicked and instinctively bit off her end and pulled away.

"Hey now..." Kazuto muttered disappointingly as she moved away.

"Ah, s-sorry." She apologized as he finished off the first stick. "My heart wasn't ready for it."

"What are you talking about? We've done this a thousand times! Not to mention some other things we did in SAO-"

"I T-TOLD YOU NEVER TO SPEAK OF THAT!" She slapped him.

"Right, right, my bad." He chuckled.

With her face as red as the roses surrounding them, Asuna retrieved a second stick of the remaining Pocky. This time they got fairly close to the center as they moved closer and closer together in turn. But due to the pressure of their teeth on either end, the stick broke down the middle before their lips could touch.

However, now they both felt they had a sense for how to successfully win the pocky game, so on the final stick, they managed to reach the middle.

Closing their eyes, the final centimeter was overcome and their lips clashed softly with a sweetness even greater than that of the lingering strawberry flavor.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless, Kazuto fixed the buttercup in her hair before lying down on his back.

"I think a nap would be nice right about now." He yawned, stretching one arm to the side and using the other as a pillow.

"Me, too." Asuna nestled close to him and rested her head on his outstretched arm, her sunhat shielding her face from the bright sunlight. "Sweet dreams for now." She whispered.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift off while listening to the distant chatter of other people, breathing the calming fragrance of the flowers surrounding her.

"Sweet dreams, Asuna." He replied, closing his eyes as well as he moved in closer to her. _Although I've already found my sweetest dream.._. He thought with a smug smile before he feel into a light slumber beside her.

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**A/N: Continuing from here next week! Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	33. Equals

**AH GEEZ. I'm so sorry this update was so late. I was about edit the chapter and then suddenly I had 6 million things to do.**

**Also, it's come to my attention that the Pocky scene last chapter was indeed a repeat from chapter 18 (I _knew_ as I was writing it that I'd done it before! Ugh!) so sorry about that. **

**And also thank you all so much for all of your faithful, encouraging reviews each week. Some of you send links I don't receive and some of you are anonymous so I can't reply, but please everyone just know my gratitude to you! You're the reasons I'm still writing at this point!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 33. Equals

The warm sunlight bathing Kazuto's skin was what eventually woke him up from his short nap.

He squinted as he blinked open his eyes and was about to turn and stretch when he felt a weight on his arm and remembered where he was.

Asuna still slept peacefully on his arm, her face shaded and partially hidden by her white sunhat.

Kazuto turned slightly and reached out with his free hand to caress her soft cheek. With a fond smile on his face, he continued to run his fingers through her silky, chestnut hair as she breathed silently. Several flower petals had blown on the wind to rest on her body, and Kazuto carefully brushed them off.

Not long afterward, Asuna stirred with a small, sleepy moan which automatically transformed into a tiny sneeze.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." He murmured, poking her nose playfully.

"Unyuu..." She sniffed once as her hazel eyes adjusted to the sunlight and scenery. "Did you sleep well, Kirito-kun?" She asked, yawning a little.

"You bet." He replied.

Asuna smiled sleepily as she pushed herself up, lifting her head from his arm and allowing the prickly, numbing feeling to dissipate from his skin. Asuna rolled onto her back and gazed up at the blue sky above, patched with clouds and the occasional bird.

They remained like that for a while longer, listening to the distant, muffled sounds of the other people as they absorbed the sunlight. However, an all-too-familiar sound of an empty stomach soon roused them.

"I guess we should get going, huh?" She offered, sitting up.

"I-It's okay. We can stay as long as you like." He said with his face red.

"No, it's fine. It's my fault for forgetting our picnic basket in the first place." She took his hand and helped him sit up beside her and the two of them stretched a bit to get their blood flowing. They stood and folded up the sheet they had been resting on and Asuna padded it into her bag.

They walked around the gardens for a final time, dodging butterflies as they went, until they finished a complete circle from where they began.

They then proceeded to cross the open fields, heading toward the small forest that would lead back to the main park. Upon entering it, Kazuto reached his arms above his head for another stretch, but as he was doing so, his foot caught on a root. His lazy-sounding yawn instantly rose into a shout as he fell face-forward into the dirt.

"K-Kirito-kun?!" Asuna quickly doubled back. "What happened?"

"Just me being stupid." He muttered, sitting up to spit a leaf out of his mouth. Asuna let out a short giggle before leaning down to dust him off.

"Come on, up you go." She took his hand and gave a tug, but when she felt he should have stood on his own balance, he stayed on the ground, and she nearly stumbled backward herself. "H-Hey, you're supposed to stand up." She reminded him.

"About that." As he looked up at her, Asuna could see his pained expression and instantly she frowned. "I think I twisted my ankle. Just give me a minute."

"Dummy." She sighed. "Waiting for a minute won't help something like that. Should I look for one of the park caretakers and ask for help? You'll have to walk all the way home... Maybe we can pay for a ride somehow?"

"I don't think any taxis run here." He grimaced.

"You're right..." Asuna closed her eyes and thought hard on any other option they could make use of. She thought for a moment as Kazuto remained sitting on the ground, repeatedly trying to get up and put weight on his injured ankle. "Well then ,I guess we have no other choice."

"What? Are you gonna leave me here to waste away without ever having your handmade lunch?" He asked dramatically.

"Of course not!" She pouted and poked his forehead scoldingly, enough to push him backward. "Don't even joke about something like leaving you..." She mumbled under her breath.

Kazuto chuckled a little first before watching her curiously. She took the sunhat from her head and placed it on his before turning her back to him and getting onto one knee.

"Ah, Asuna-sa-?"

"Get on."

"Pardon?"

"You still can't figure it out? I'm going to carry you. So get on."

Kazuto continued to sit there with a confused expression on his face and her white sunhat on his head.

A moment of silence passed and still Kazuto did not move.

Asuna turned to look back over her shoulder. "What? You don't think I can handle it?" She huffed.

"N-No that's not it, of course not!" He stammered.

"I think that was a little too much denial. Just do it, Kirito-kun."

With an almost sheepish frown, Kazuto hesitantly moved closer to her. He placed his arms around her neck and kept a loose grip, but Asuna immediately called him out on it. "This isn' going to work if you don't hold on properly." Her words caused Kazuto to tighten his grip, but it did not stop him from feeling guilt about it.

Asuna reached back to secure his legs at her sides and then, with a long exhale followed by a short burst of speed, she stood. Kazuto was afraid she might collapse backward, but her balance was almost surprisingly stable. "Now then, let's get home so we can put some ice on that and then eat."

She began to walk slowly at first, but as she became more accustomed to Kazuto's weight, her pace increased until she was walking almost normally. Kazuto had to admit to himself that he was surprised, but dare not say it aloud in fear of insulting her.

Yet Asuna never failed to read him like a book at times like these, and she said with a slightly scolding voice, "It's because you're so skinny, Kirito-kun."

"No." He shook his head. "It's definitely because you're so strong."

For some reason, even though he had spoken those words to her dozens of times before, each new time still felt like the first. Asuna felt her face become hot and she fell silent for a while as they exited the park.

As they reached the sidewalk that would eventually lead back to Asuna's house, they received several comments from passerby such as "shouldn't it be the other way around?" which made Asuna a tad angry upon hearing.

"Girls can carry boys, too." She muttered begrudgingly and Kazuto smiled.

However, most of the whispers directed at them were words of amusement, giggles, and even jealous or pouting words wishing they could do the same.

They walked on for a while, and although she was hiding it very well, Kazuto could tell she was gradually becoming exhausted. Her step was beginning to grow unstable and much slower, her neck felt hot, her heart was beating quickly, and she was starting to breathe harder.

At first he kept silent, again not wanting to insult her abilities nor his own confidence in her, but when her panting became more audible than the passing cars, he knew it was enough.

"Asuna." He only spoke her name quietly, but she instantly knew what he meant. She gave a slight nod in understanding before heading toward an empty bench not far off.

Once there, she carefully turned around and leaned down to let him off, making sure he was okay before sitting down beside him. Kazuto's gaze was almost guilty as he watched her lean back heavily, her chest heaving and sweat beading on her forehead. "Oy, are you alright?" Kazuto took the hat from his own head and placed it back on hers. Asuna opened her eyes and quickly tried to regain her breath so she could speak properly.

"Don...Don't look at this the wrong way..." She panted. "I'm just... not strong enough yet... not strong enough to support you... even though you've done it for me a million times..." She sounded unmistakably guilty now, and the feeling extended to Kazuto.

"Don't think like that." He soothed, placing his hand atop hers. "It's blazing hot out and you haven't eaten more than a few sticks of Pocky all day, and yet you managed to carry me all this way. I can say for sure I would have honestly fallen over ten minutes ago if I were in your position, and you would have ended up having to carry me back anyway." She ended up letting out a small chuckle as she imagined the scenario.

"I know you want us to be equals," he continued. "But that doesn't mean physical strength is the only way, because I'd never be able to keep up with you anyway. If you're tired, then take a break and lean on me. That's what it means to be partners." He squeezed her hand and Asuna slowly looked up to lock her gaze with his.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You've still got to carry me the rest of the way, after all." He said, guiltily.

"Right." She giggled.

Before they continued on their way, Kazuto retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket and gently patted her forehead of sweat. Asuna sighed as he wiped her burning cheek and down her neck until he came to a stop at her collarbones. The heart-shaped necklace that dangled there caught a beam of sunlight and shimmered golden.

When Asuna had fully regained her breath, Kazuto put his handkerchief away and put her hat back on his own head. Asuna kneeled on the ground before him and Kazuto hugged her neck. Asuna grabbed his legs and stood, but this time Kazuto felt a large crack shudder a portion of her back.

"Oh..." Asuna froze for a moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah. It actually felt kind of good." She admitted. Then after taking a deep breath, she set out toward her house once more.

It was another fifteen minutes before they finally arrived, and Asuna somehow managed to dig out her key from her bag while still holding Kazuto.

Once inside, she let him down onto the couch before sitting down next to him with a long sigh. She got her breath back before remembering she needed ice for his ankle and stood again to fetch it. She returned a moment later with an ice pack and handed it to him. Kazuto removed his shoes and the sock on his injured food and held the ice in place, sighing with relief as the cold numbed the pain.

"Feeling better?" She wondered.

"At least a thousand times." He informed her with a grin.

"Glad to hear it." She nodded. "I'll go get our lunch."

"Hold on a second."

"Yes?" She turned back to give him a questioning look.

Kazuto reached out to grasp her wrist and slowly pulled her down toward him. He brought his lips to hers for an instant, and Asuna kissed back, her soft lips still tasting faintly of strawberry.

"Thank you for all you did for me today." He said when they pulled apart.

"I should be the one thanking you." She replied, happily remembering the beautiful gardens. She leaned forward and kissed him again, and this time they both conveyed their gratitude through their lips.

"Now let's finally have that lunch!" She beamed.

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**A/N: Ahh thank you all again for all your wonderful reviews! Hope you liked it! Let's see who can guess what next week's chapter will be from the hint I dropped :3**

**Please review!**


	34. Joys To Come

**As always I'm grateful for all the support! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 34. Joys To Come

The warm, morning sunlight hitting Kazuto's face both made him want to wake up to greet the day, and also stay in bed.

He flipped onto his back and blinked his eyes open to squint at the ceiling. It was still early, so going back to sleep for a while probably would not hurt, but he knew he could not trust himself to get up at a reasonable time if he did that.

Just as he was debating with his warring options, his cell phone vibrated next to him, and he groggily reached his arm out to grab it. Flipping it open, he read a new message: _Good morning, Kirito-kun! Sorry if I woke you. I just wanted to let you know that I probably won't be able to go see that movie together with you today. It seems I hurt my back yesterday and Mother has forbidden me to leave the house. I'm really sorry!_

Kazuto lightly hit his palm to his face. "Ahh, geez. I had a feeling this might happen."

He remembered how she had carried him all the way home yesterday due to his injured ankle, and at one point when she had stood, her back had made a cracking sound.

He was about to close his phone and get out of bed when another message came. _Sorry if you're still asleep! I just wanted to let you know it's not your fault, Kirito-kun! It's because I wasn't strong enough!_ They were almost the exact words she had spoken to him yesterday, and despite her words, Kazuto still felt a prickle of guilt.

Resolved, he slowly typed a reply. _Morning. And you didn't wake me, it's fine. Well in that case, I'll come over to see how you're doing, since I'm partially responsible._

Without waiting for her reply, Kazuto closed his phone and rolled out of bed to make himself decent. His ankle no longer hurt when he walked, and he knew it had gotten better so quickly thanks to Asuna's care.

After eating breakfast and informing his family where he would be today, he returned to his phone to see Asuna had replied. _It's okay! You really don't have to come to take care of me! _A second message had been sent not a minute later. _But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see you..._

Kazuto smiled to himself. He knew that several months ago, when they had just met one another in real life and started going out, she never would have sent that second message in order not to trouble him, so he was glad she was being more honest with herself.

_I'll be right over_. He replied, closing his phone as he headed downstairs again.

It was a warm, yet muggy day outside, which would have been nice to sit in a cool movie theater through, but as soon as they came out it would have felt unpleasant enough to make their skin crawl.

Kazuto put a spring in his step as he raced up the sidewalk, toward Asuna's house. But just before the street where he should have turned, and idea sparked in his mind. He pulled out his phone and quickly texted her: _Sorry. I'm gonna be a little late. Don't worry, everything's fine._

He then dashed off down a different street which lead to a portion of town. Several small shops lined the edges of the road and Kazuto darted his gaze across the nameplates until he found the correct one. He slowed his place until he reached the door, entering slowly.

He knew little about the language of flowers, but Kazuto did remember what several of them symbolized. As he walked about the shop, hundreds of flowers danced before his eyes. They were every color he could imagine, and it was difficult to locate the correct ones.

But at last, he had chosen what he required: five pink eglantine roses, three yellow celandine flowers, and a single red rose. He brought them to the register and had them bundled into a small bouquet, as he knew for a fact that Asuna did not like to be fussed over.

After paying, he needed to slow his pace a bit as he continued on his way to her residence as to not jostle the flowers.

When he got to the front door, however, he encountered a dilemma. _Damn it! It's times like these I know really need to get a copy of her house key!_

Since her door was locked, Kazuto had no other option but to knock. He waited patiently for a few moments until the door was unlocked.

"Good morning, Kirito-kun!" Her voice was still as cheerful as ever and greeted him like a beautiful song on a warm spring breeze. She was dressed in a long pink nightgown, her long hair completely down and slightly wavy from where it was usually braided.

"Morning!" He said, having hidden the bouquet behind him for the moment. "Sorry you had to get up to open the door for me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Just a little sore, and it hurts to move a certain way. But I've had worse pain from sleepy improperly!" She quickly added as to not let him feel guilty.

"Okay. As long as it's nothing worse than that."

"Well don't stand outside all day, it's pretty clammy. Come in!" She took his free hand and brought him inside. "So why did you say you would be late?" She wondered. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, no." He said with a tiny shrug. "I just had to bring you these." He said casually as he revealed the flowers.

She let out a small gasp as her hand rose to her chest. Her hazel eyes watered up instantly and her cheeks turned pink. Kazuto smiled sweetly as he handed them to her, and she accepted them with shaky hands.

"You...You didn't have to go this far..." she sniffed. "Ahh...why do I get so flustered over things like this?" She chuckled softly as she wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Kirito-kun. Thank you so much... they're beautiful."

"You're more than welcome." He replied, patting her shoulder.

Asuna's eyes traveled over the flowers carefully, and she quickly identified them. _Eglantine roses are for wishing to heal wounds, celandine are for joys yet to come, and a red rose...true love..._

More tears welled up and she spent the next minute wiping them away as Kazuto smiled, silently running his fingers through her hair. Asuna kissed his cheek and gave him a flawless smile that was more beautiful than a newly blossomed flower.

She then went to put the flowers in a vase as Kazuto removed his shoes. When she was coming back to him, he noticed she was moving a bit stiffly. "Here, do you want to lean on me?" He rushed forward to meet her, hooking his arm around her waist as she held onto his sleeve.

"Sorry. Thanks." She flinched as she felt a slight pain in her back.

"I'll take you upstairs." He decided. "You should lie down."

Carefully making their way to the stairs, Kazuto helped her up slowly. Once they had reached her room, he lifted her onto the bed and had her sit up against a pillow. "What hurts?" He asked.

"Mostly the left side of my neck and behind my ribs." She admitted.

"Well just sit still and rest for now. I'll go make you some lunch."

"Thank you." Just then she remembered she should ask how he was doing. "Oh, right! How is your ankle, Kirito-kun?"

"All better now." He grinned. "All thanks to you." He reached forward to pat her head before turning toward the door.

"Ah, Kirito-kun?" She called out. "Could you... bring the flowers up here, please? I want them in my room..." She lowered her gaze, a little bashful as she fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"Sure thing!" He replied before exiting her room. He went down into the kitchen to prepare her favorite kind of sandwich, that he had thankfully learned how to make.

He was fairly familiar with her kitchen, and therefore, found the ingredients quickly. He remembered how quickly and efficiently Asuna could put together a meal, and could only hope to compete with her skills.

After finishing the sandwich and cutting it in half, he took the plate in one hand and secured the vase of flowers in the other before making his way back to her room.

"Thanks, Kirito-kun." She beamed as he placed the vase on her bedside table. He then placed some napkins and the plate on her lap and they each took half of the sandwich before chanting "itadakimasu!" and taking the first bite. "This is really good, Kirito-kun!" She exclaimed. "Even better than the last time you made lunch!"

"Good to know!" He grinned.

They finished up and Kazuto brought the dishes and napkins back downstairs, wondering if there was anything he could do for her on the way back up the stairs. "I have an idea." He said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Lie on your stomach." She gave him a puzzled look but he insisted.

"Let me help." He assisted her in leaning forward and laid her pillow down flat, and she slowly twisted onto her stomach, folding her arms over her pillow. She made a small, uncomfortable noise as she did so. "It still hurts, huh?"

"A little."

"Just relax. Close your eyes." Kazuto moved the sheets out of the way before brushing her luscious hair to one side to reveal her back. He placed his hand on her left side, where she had said it hurt most, and gently ran his palm over her ribs.

"Ah..." A little sound escaped her lips.

"Sorry." He applied less pressure as he moved his hand up and down slowly, placing his right hand on her right side and doing the same.

Asuna flinched a little at the beginning, but as Kazuto continued, her muscles loosened up and the tight stiffness in her back gradually dissolved. Kazuto rubbed her shoulders and the side of her neck and she sighed, straining to turn her head sideways until the pain died away.

Kazuto continued for several more moments, but paused when he noticed tears in the corners of her eyes. "A...Asuna?" He said, dumbfounded. "What's the matter? Does it hurt?"

"Noooo..." she moaned blissfully. "Kirito-kun, it feels so good..."

"Oh. That's good to know." He breathed a sigh of relief.

He continued to rub her back for a few moments longer, chuckling to himself whenever Asuna let out an unintentional little sound.

"There, I hope that feels better." He said, gently patting her back. But after a few seconds Asuna still did not move, and by her slow breathing, Kazuto could tell she was asleep.

He chuckled to himself again as he brushed her bangs away from her face and caught the tear on the side of her face with his finger. He then leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Sleep well." He murmured.

Kazuto remained there, sitting on the edge of her bed beside her, gingerly rubbing her back in soothing motions.

She slept for about half an hour before stirring. "Hey." Kazuto smiled as she blinked her hazel eyes open to find his. "Feeling any better?" He wondered.

Asuna slowly turned onto her back and pushed herself up with his support. She titled her head both ways experimentally, but the sharp pangs that had assaulted her earlier had vanished.

"You must have a magic touch, Kirito-kun." She laughed lightly. "I think I'm all better."

"Really? That's great." He took her hand and linked his fingers through hers, giving a little squeeze. "I guess it's gotten a bit too late to go out today, huh? Is tomorrow okay for you?"

"Yes!" She squeezed his hand back, delighted.

"It's settled then." Kazuto decided. "For now, just take it easy. Maybe I'll see you online tonight?"

"I believe you shall." She confirmed.

"Great!" Standing, he let go of her hand in order to lean down and kiss her softly. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yes!" She chirped. "Ah but before you go..." she quickly reached sideways and carefully pulled out a single yellow celandine from the vase. "Take this one with you." She handed him the flower and Kazuto nodded with a smile.

And as he left her and headed back home that day, he could only anticipate the joys to come.

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**A/N: Sorry if it felt rushed! I hope you liked it!**

**Please review!**


	35. Mishaps

**Yosh here you are! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 35. Mishaps

Sweltering heat wafted in a visible mist outside Kazuto's window.

He was aware that the weather today would be hot, but this degree was not something he had been expecting.

It took him a while to find some clothes that would be suitable enough for such humidity, but even then he still felt hot just standing in his room, even though it was air conditioned. "This is gonna be fun." He muttered sarcastically.

As he stepped out into the hallway and treaded down the stairs to eat, he already felt exhausted just thinking about having to walk around town. However, he had promised Asuna they would go on a date together today, and even though he had nothing specific planned, he was going to enjoy his being with her to the fullest.

As he finished his breakfast of cool cereal and milk and headed for the door, Kazuto heard his aunt call out after him. "Stay cool today, Kazuto-kun!"

"I will! You, too!" He replied before swallowing hard and opening the door.

Immediately, a gust of humid air blasted past his face, enough to make his hair sway from the force. "Ugh. This is awful." He mumbled as he began trekking toward Asuna's house.

It was not a very far walk on a normal day, however today it felt like he was dragging himself by his arms across a desert. Cicadas screeched louder than the passing cars, and the sound only served as a constant reminder of how hot it was.

When Asuna's house was finally within view, Kazuto quickened his pace as much as he dared, as though he had just found the illusion of the oasis in the middle of the desert.

When he reached the door he fixed himself up to appear as presentable as possible before knocking. He heard the faint reply of "Coming!" from the other sidem and a few seconds later the door opened.

Like a princess at the end of a long journey, Asuna was revealed to him, her bright smile already worth the exhausting trip. A light lavender dress floated down to her knees and her shoes were small and simple. Her long hair was pulled back into a messy bun with several long strands slipping out over her shoulder. She adorned a small hairpin which was a pink bow with a yellow flower in the center.

However, Kazuto knew he must have looked like quite the pathetic prince come to pick up such a beautiful princess, as she took one look at him before gasping.

"Kirito-kun, what happened to you? You look as though you just ran a marathon! Here, come inside." She took his arm and pulled him through the door. The immediate drop in temperature caused Kazuto to sigh with relief. "Here sit down, I'll go get you some water." Asuna left him on the couch and dashed off into the kitchen to fetch a glass. She returned seconds later to had Kazuto a freezing glass full of ice water which he gratefully drained in an instant.

"Thanks." He finally managed to bring himself to speak. "Sorry about that. It's just... _really_ hot outside." He informed her.

"I can tell just by looking at you. Should we stay inside today, then?" She suggested.

"But who knows if tomorrow is going to be even hotter?" He pointed out. "It _is_ summer now, so who knows how often the weather will be suitable for us again? Plus, you've already dressed up so nicely to go out."

"Idiot." She said a little quietly. "If I'm going to see you, I'll dress nicely every day. I don't care if we're staying inside all day. I don't dress up for other people, you know. The only person's opinion that matters to me is yours." She shuffled her feet a little as she looked down.

"And I think you always look lovely no matter what." He replied, causing her to blush deeply. "You'd look lovely no matter what you were wearing. You'd look lovely even if you weren't wearing anything!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Ah..."

Kazuto had gotten quite ahead of himself and was unable to stop whatever words that popped into his head from spilling out of his mouth. He dared to steal a glance at Asuna, who's face was now red with a different kind of embarrassment.

"Ah... Asuna, now look, I misspoke-"

"You... PERVERT!" She grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it directly into his face. As it slid off his face and into his lap, Kazuto quickly tried to redeem himself.

"No, Asuna listen! I wasn't-mmph!" His sentence was cut short as another pillow was thrown, followed by yet another. She kept yelping, "Pervert! You big idiot!" and tossing them at him until there were no pillows left available.

When she had finished her rampaged, Asuna stood panting with her hands clenched into fists. Kazuto was a mess from the static-filled pillows but he knew he had gotten what he deserved.

He waited until Asuna appeared to have calmed down before he attempted to apologize again.

"Asuna..." he said slowly, carefully, preparing himself for another pillow to be chucked his way. But her heaving shoulders slowed to a normal pace without her having to grab one, so he continued. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Why are you still smiling?" She asked immediately.

"Eh? Smiling?" It was only when she said it that Kazuto realized the smirk on his face. "Ah... I guess it's because you're so cute when you're flustered."

"D-Don't say things like that just because you think it's cute! Dummy!" She raised her voice again, her cheeks still red.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" He forced the smile away, which was no easy feat as it was exactly that reaction that made her so adorable, as he tried to apologize normally. "I'm sorry for speaking so thoughtlessly."

"...Okay." She nodded in approval.

Kazuto sighed with relief as he leaned back against the couch. But as she went to retrieve the pillows she had tossed, Kazuto noticed the undoubtedly familiar way her lips were curling upward.

"Ah!"

"W-What is it?"

"You're smiling, too!"

"W-What are you talking about."

"Don't play coy." He smirked. "When I thoughtlessly said that I'd be fine seeing you without clothes, you took it as a compliment. You were flattered, not angry!" He wore the biggest, triumphant grin then, knowing for certain he was correct.

"W-Wh-What..." Asuna fumbled for words as her cheeks grew hot yet again. "T-That's not it! H-How could something like that p-possibly be a compliment-"

"Stop trying to deny it." He smirked. "Your stammering isn't helping."

"B-But that's really not..."

"Keep trying to deny it." He encouraged her smugly.

"But..." She could say no more as her hands flew to her cheeks to try and suppress the blushing.

Before her cheeks had indeed turned red both of out anger and flattery, but mainly the latter; now, it was with the pure humiliation of being found out.

Kazuto chuckled as he stood from the couch to wrap his arms around her before pulling her down to sit sideways on his lap. She kept her hands covering her face, even as he hugged her.

"You are just too cute." He murmured in her ear as she continued to be consumed by her embarrassment.

He waited several moments just holding her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he ran his fingers through her hair. He felt her loosen up a little, probably because she was enjoying it, but still she refused to remove her hands from her face.

"Oy, don't you think we should get going soon?" He bounced her a little to pull her back into reality.

"No." She replied bluntly. "I'm too mortified to move."

"Because I called you out on being flattered?" He said knowingly. His saying this only cause her to recoil further as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"It's fine." He said. "Of course I like the kinky side of you, too."

She elbowed him in the gut.

"Ah... sorry.. sorry..." He wheezed, still chuckling a little.

It took Asuna another few minutes before she had composed herself as much as she could manage at that point. She slowly pulled away from him before quickly standing up, spinning around with perfect judgement so that her expression was just precisely beyond his vision.

At first he thought she was still a little angry, so he helped her pick up all the pillows and display them back in their original places. But just as Kazuto was about to sincerely apologize to her, he found out she was not angry at all. She turned around to look at him with watery, puppy-dog eyes.

"I don't suppose... we can pretend this ordeal never happened?"

"I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life." He replied matter-of-factly.

"I see..." She hung her head in defeat as Kazuto stood beside her and tucked a loose lock of chestnut hair behind her ear.

"Buuuut I'm willing to forget about it whenever it's not necessary." He shrugged. "So for now let's just get on with our date."

Asuna merely nodded her head as she tried to forget about the situation altogether.

"So where are we going?" She wondered.

"I'm not too sure myself. Do you want to just wander around town?"

"That sounds fine." She agreed.

After fixing up the rest of the pillows, the two of them headed for the door. Kazuto braced himself as he stepped outside, feeling the familiar blast of muggy heat. Asuna felt it too and let out a disgusted groan. "Ugh. What a terrible feeling." She muttered, fully understanding why he had been so tired upon his arrival.

"I know. But let's just see how far we can make it."

They began walking down the sidewalk, and it appeared they were the only people foolish enough to do even that, as every other person they saw was either inside an air-conditioned car or store.

They had made tentative plans to go to a movie theater, but after only a few minutes of being outside in the sweltering heat, it was simultaneously and silently decided upon that they would never make it that far.

They did, however, stop by the flower shop Kazuto had visited previously to purchase her flowers, and Asuna thanked the clerk and told her the story, which left Kazuto with a bit of a blush. But it seemed after telling the story and remembering that wonderful surprised feeling she had experienced after he had brought her those flowers, Asuna had finally forgotten all about the embarrassing events that morning, and she joyfully linked arms with Kazuto as they headed back out.

They had to stop into several little stores as they walked around just to avoid being in the heat for too long. Yet when they had only been out together for a little over an hour, it was clear that both of them were at their limits.

Asuna wiped her arm across her forehead as she stole a quick glance at him. "I'm really sorry to ask so soon..." she said, panting slightly. "But... I think we should head back soon. I don't even know if I'll make it that far."

"I know what you mean." He replied, spotting a shaded area and pulling her over to it. "But before that let's just visit one last place. I promise it'll be worth it." Asuna nodded and despite the uncomfortable heat, clasped his palm to hers; since they were both fairly sweaty, it was no longer embarrassing.

It was several more moments of walking before they reached Kazuto's designated shop, and Asuna let out a sigh of relief as they went inside. Cold air met their clammy skin and cooled it instantly, as the faint scent of flavor drifted through the air.

It seemed this was the place to be, as the ice cream store was slightly crowded with who Kazuto assumed to have been other brave souls willing to take on the heat but honorably giving in in the end. Asuna ordered a vanilla cone and Kazuto took black raspberry. They sat down at a vacant table and blissfully began to enjoy the cold ice cream.

"Ahh... this is the best weather for ice cream." Asuna decided.

"I don't know, it's pretty good in wintertime, too."

"Really? I'll have to try it this year."

They continued to enjoy their treats in silence until Kazuto's cone dripped directly onto his shirt.

"Ah, crap."

"Dummy." She scolded. "Here, let me help." She put her cone down and pulled out a napkin, quickly dabbing off his shirt before it could leave a stain.

"Thanks. You're a life saver."

It was not a moment later when the same fate befell Asuna and a small drop of white vanilla fell onto her dress.

"Oh no."

"I got it."

"Eh? K-Kirito-kun-"

But before she could deter him, her thoughtlessly helpful boyfriend leaned over with a napkin to gently dab the stain.

He was a second too late to realize exactly where he was touching on her chest.

"Oh g-"

"KYAA!" She shrieked as she hit his arm away and quickly covered her chest. The scene drew the attention of every other person in the shop who all giggled after seeing what was going on.

"A-Asuna! I'm sorry I didn't..." He tried his best to defend himself, but her cherry-red face and watery eyes already told him it was no use. _Damn. And I'd just redeemed myself for the previous incident, too!_

Asuna tried to glare at him, but was too bashful to meet his eyes, so instead she quickly stood up, sending her dress fluttering as she scurried across the shop to dispose of her trash before exiting and not waiting for him to follow.

"Ah- Asuna wait!" He called after her as he quickly dashed out, hearing all the amused comments from the crowd as he left. He caught up to her fairly easily as she had kept a stiff walking pace, and he grabbed her wrist.

"Let me apologize." He pleaded. "I-"

"You idiot..." she mumbled, bowing her face and hiding her eyes. "T-To do something like that in front of so many people..."

"I-...huh?" He had been under the impression she was angry, and rightfully so, at the fact that he had touched her chest at all. Yet it seemed that was not the case, and the only issue here were the eyes of other people. A smirk broke out on his lips. "So... it would have been okay if it was just the two of us?" He clarified.

"D-Don't make it sound so lewd!" She glared, her cheeks still red. "And no, I'm not saying it would have been _okay_, just..." she trailed off into an almost inaudible whisper. "It would have been less... _not_ okay... I guess..."

"Is that so..."

"B-B-But don't get the wrong idea!" She said quickly before he could jump to conclusions.

"I won't." He said, sounding very much like he would.

"Kirito-kun..." Her eyes were pleading and her face was still red, and Kazuto felt he had teased her enough.

"Okay, I'm sorry." He chuckled. "Let me make it up to you by taking you somewhere special tomorrow."

"...Like where?" She wondered.

"It's a place you already know, but I won't tell you just yet."

"Eh? No fair..."

They headed back toward her house together, their mishaps already in the past, and even the steaming heat was entirely forgotten as they held one another's hands tightly and continued to walk forward.

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**A/N: Next week will be better I promise!**

**Please review!**


	36. Water Park

**Hello, everyone! Today is my birthday so just think of this chapter as a reverse present from me to you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 36. Water Park

"Neh, neh, where are we going exactly?"

"I told you you've already been there. You should remember."

"Ehh... no fair. We've been to a lot of places..." Asuna trailed off as she went into deep thought.

The two of them were walking along the sidewalk in the summer heat, although it was not as humid as the previous day. They had left about fifteen minutes ago, but Kazuto still refused to tell her where they were going.

"Okay, yes we've been to a lot of places," he agreed. "But think: how many of those places require bringing a bathing suit?" He motioned to the bag she carried on her shoulder which had her change of clothes inside.

"Ah! So we're going to the beach?" She guessed.

"I think you've already guessed that about three times and the answer is still no." He replied. "We were just went to this place not too long ago." He hinted.

Asuna fell silent as they continued to walk a little longer, and Kazuto was beginning to think they would reach their destination before she could give her next guess. But a few minutes later, Asuna perked up.

"Oh! It's that skiing place!" She declared proudly.

"You got it." He confirmed.

"That's a relief that it's inside, because I'm at my limit with this heat."

"I hear you."

"I still don't understand why you insist on wearing black even in the summer, Kirito-kun." She pouted. "You looked fine in white as well." She recalled his appearance in-game many months ago when he had worn the Knights of Blood uniform.

"It's just not my taste." He shrugged.

"Okay, but if you get heat stroke don't say I didn't warn you." She said it in a joking manner as she reached over to take his hand.

They trekked the rest of the way under the relentless heat of the sun's rays until the somewhat familiar building was in sight.

"It's been a while since we last came here." He noted as they entered the cool, air-conditioned lobby area.

"I wish it was as cold as it was then." She agreed with a long sigh. "But then again, at that time of year I'm wishing it's as hot as it is now."

The two of them went to the front desk area and paid for full-day tickets before going any further. They first had to walk through the skating area, which was presently not in use except for the lunch tables. There was a handful of other people there eating, but Asuna assumed the majority were in the water park area. She left the picnic basket she had brought along at the table they selected before Kazuto pointed her to the women's changing room.

"Once you finish changing meet up with me and I'll show you where the water park is." He gave her a quick pat on the back before dashing off to the men's room.

Asuna took her bag and went to the changing area, pulling out her bathing suit to change. She could remember the last time she had swam together with Kazuto, Rika, Keiko, and Klein at the beach, but she had decided to buy a different bathing suit since then.

Rather than the pink-striped suit from last time, she now wore a purple bikini with ruffles around the edges, the bottom part being a sideways-cut skirt that was light and airy but also water-resistant.

Once she had finished, she peeked her head around the corner of the room, feeling a bit bashful that she was wearing such a thing in a normal room with no water to swim in. She quickly draped her yellow towel around her shoulders as she made her way to their table to put her normal clothes away. She received several curious glances from some of the other people, particularly the guys, so she hurried along without making eye contact.

She saw that Kazuto's dark shirt and pants were already with her things at their table, so she knew he had finished changing. Removing her shoes, she timidly walked over to stand outside the men's changing room and was about to call out for him when she felt a freezing sensation on her shoulder.

"KYAA!" She gave a short scream and she quickly whipped around, covering herself with the towel. A second later, Kazuto appeared before her with a wide grin on his face.

"Gotcha." He boasted.

"Y-You meanie... splashing water on me out of nowhere..."

"Well you'll get plenty more than that once we're inside." He promised. "Come on, follow me." He took her wrist and pulled her down a short hallway that led to two glass doors. He opened them and led her through, and instantly the refreshing scent of pool water filled their lungs.

Asuna's pout died away immediately when she saw the extravagant sight before her.

A huge room stretched out widely, the center of which being a large circular pool of blue water. There was a platform in the center of the watered area, so that the pool made a sort of mote around its perimeter. Sunlight streamed down from the glass-window ceiling and illuminated the towering water slide and tubing tracks in the middle. In the center of those was a large bucket which gradually filled with water for several minutes before dumping its contents onto the people below. Surrounding the water area were many chairs on the solid floor where people kept their towels and dried off before going back into the eating area.

"Wow..." Asuna's jaw dropped in awe.

"This is awesome." Kazuto agreed.

"Eh? Why are you surprised?"

"What do you mean?" He quirked his eyebrow at her. "You're the one who told me about this place, remember? I've never been to this part. I just followed the signs."

"Oh yeah... I've never been in this part before, either!"

"Well then, not a second to waste! Let's grab some chairs." Kazuto dashed off.

"Ah, Kirito-kun don't run in your bare feet on this slippery ground!" She called after him before unconsciously running off as well.

There was a good amount of free space and Kazuto easily claimed a chair and draped his black towel over it, and Asuna sat in the chair next to his.

"So are you ready? What do you want to do first?" He asked.

"M-Maybe just swim?" She suggested, still clutching her towel over her shoulders.

"Really? But they have a lot of other things to do."

"I-Isn't that just for little kids?"

"This coming from the girl who made me carry her on my shoulders?" He smirked and her face turned red. "Besides, when it's this hot, anyone who's at a water park might as well be a kid. We're here to have fun."

"Y...You're right..."

"But first how about you take the towel off?" He requested. "I haven't even gotten to see your new bathing suit yet."

"D...Don't stare too much..." she muttered, slowly standing and letting the towel fall onto the chair.

She raised one arm in front of her chest and put her fingers to her chin in a criminally adorable manner, her skirt fluttering ever so slightly. "I-Is it too flashy?" She asked shyly.

Kazuto had to bite his lower lip in order to keep his jaw from dropping completely.

"Ah...mm..." he cleared his throat. "I, uh... I guess it's okay." He said, pretending to sound unimpressed.

His teasing got just the reaction he wanted out of her.

"Eh?!" She cried. "I-It's not that nice, is it?" She quickly grabbed her towel again and covered herself.

"As-u-na!" He annunciated, stepping forward to place his hands on her shoulders. "It was obviously a joke! You look _amazing_. _Gorgeous_. If anyone else so much as thinks otherwise, I'll arrange an intelligence test for them."

He slowly pulled the towel back off of her arms and let it fall. Asuna slowly raised her head to look up at him past her bangs, her face flushed pink. He smiled as he pulled her in, lifting her chin with his finger and kissing her gently. Asuna placed her hands on his arms and kissed him back softly before they pulled apart.

"You should already know you're the most beautiful person in the universe to me." He reminded her. "Like I said yesterday, you could be wearing nothing at all and-oof!" He took a step back as she stepped on his foot with her heel.

"You started off wonderfully but if you say another word I'll won't speak to you for the rest of the month!" She cried.

"Ahh, right sorry, sorry. I wasn't thinking..." He grinned, shaking off his foot.

"Alright. Then let's swim."

She grabbed his arm and led him toward the water, keeping her face angled away from him to hide her expression. But Kazuto smiled, as he could tell as clearly as day that she was delighted about what he had said about her appearance.

They reached the water's edge and slowly walked down the large steps leading into the water. It was the perfect temperature and the pair of them immediately dived underneath to cool off after the long walk there. They surfaced a few seconds later and decided what to do first.

"How about those?" Kazuto motioned to a series of sprinklers that were lined up on the same platform that the slides stood on.

They climbed onto the steps and out of the pool area before walking over to the sprinklers. Serval other people were there, but it was not crowded, so Asuna and Kazuto found plenty of room to walk about.

After a few moments cooling off there, they headed for the huge tubing slide, selecting a two-person tube and climbing up the spiraling stairs. After waiting a minute for their turn, they reached the top and placed the tube in the water, Kazuto taking the front seat and Asuna the back.

"Hold on tight!" He called over his shoulder as they began moving downward. The speed increased drastically as they dropped down, and they both let out shrieks of joy and laughter as the water splashed up at them. The rush of air blasted their damp hair behind them as they swerved sideways and around curves. At the very end, a slight ramp left them airborne as the tube let them off into the pool. They landed with a big splash, rocking a little too much sideways so that they both toppled over underneath the tube. They broke the surface together, still gasping from the exhilaration.

"That was so much fun!" Asuna cried out.

"See? What's next..." Kazuto glanced around.

After returning the tube, they walked around the center platform, to see the other attractions. At one point, a bell rang out.

"I wonder what that is." Asuna wondered.

"Dunno." He shrugged, before suddenly walking a little away from her.

"Where are you going?" She asked, taking a step forward.

"Just wait there. You'll find out." He promised.

"Eh?" Before she had too much time to be suspicious, she heard a loud sound from above her and a chorus of delighted laughter went up around her. A second later, a massive waterfall cascaded down on top of her, the downpour lasting for a full fifteen seconds.

At the end of it all, the giant bucket turned right-side up to refill as the drenched children ran off giggling. Asuna remained where she had stood, sopping wet with her hair three shades darker. Kazuto stood at the edge of the platform chortling merrily.

"Too good! That was too good, Asuna!" He laughed.

"Why...you... Revenge!" Lunging forward, Asuna pushed him over the edge of the platform and into the pool before he could even find the time to be surprised. His laughter instantly turned into and ungraceful "duwah!" as he splashed under. He spat out a mouthful of water as he came back up to find Asuna standing smugly over him.

"Don't underestimate me."

"What a view." He whistled.

"P-PERVERT!" She instantly dipped her foot into the pool and splashed in his face as he laughed out loud. He splashed her back, and after a minute, her embarrassment died away into happy giggles again.

She sat on the edge of the platform, sticking her feet in the water and splashing at him as he cupped his hands into a mini squirt gun and tried to aim at her. He dove under once and tickled her feet and received an instinctive kick to the shoulder but he laughed it off even as she apologized.

The next time he went under, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her down into the water with him where she proceeded to chase him about.

After a while longer, they went back up onto the platform and climbed the stairs for the water slide. Once they reached the top, they savored the view of the water park from the highest point before taking a mat and placing it at the top.

This time he urged Asuna to take the front seat and Kazuto sat behind her. He locked his arms around her stomach as she leaned back against his chest, and they slowly moved forward. There was a single, long drop almost directly downward and Asuna shrieked with delight as Kazuto hugged her tighter. Directly afterward, there was a series of bumps that took them up before falling into the next one.

Unlike the tubing slide, this one ended in a flat portion, sending them directly into the water. However, they miraculously managed to stay on the raft, and slowly cruised about the water for a while as their laughter died down.

"Ahh, that was fun..." Asuna sighed, leaning against him. "My heart's still pounding!"

"We can always go again." He offered.

"Let's do it." Her hazel eyes sparkled.

They returned to the tubing slide again and this time their tub ended up going down backward and they screamed in laughter the entire way down before they crashed into the pool and fell off again with one splash.

They rode each one a few more times before finishing up underneath the giant bucket once more. They held hands as the massive downpour drenched them, and when it finished they both shook themselves.

At last, they headed back to the pool and swam to the other side and returned to their chairs. Kazuto dried himself off quickly as Asuna wrung out her hair with her towel.

"That was so much fun!" She exclaimed.

"I'll say." He agreed, placing his towel on her shoulders. "Maybe we should have some lunch next?"

"Sounds like a plan." She beamed.

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**A/N: As always, thank you for reading! This was a fun chapter to write!**

**Please review!**


	37. A Little Trouble

**Sorry for all the late replies to everyone's reviews! I got some requests for drama so here's my best shot at it. I hope it's to your liking!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 37. A Little Trouble

As Kazuto and Asuna finished drying themselves off, they decided to head back to the other room to have their lunch.

Kazuto slung his towel over his shoulder casually, whereas Asuna wrapped hers around her entire body.

At first, Kazuto was going to object and insist she keep it off, but then he decided against it. Asuna saw that he intended to say something and tilted her head curiously. "What is it?"

"No, it's nothing." He shook his head. "Just... yeah I guess it's better if you do keep it on. Best not to break the heart of _every_ guy in this place." His lips curled into a smug smirk. Asuna blushed at the implications behind his words and tried to cover even more of herself that she already had.

They headed back to the other room where they had left their things, and the room was much more crowded than before. It appeared many other people had decided to return to eat here as well, and it was bustling with chatting voices. Most other people still wore their swimwear, so they assumed it was permitted to eat here without changing.

As the two of them took their seats, Kazuto brought the picnic basket up from underneath the table. "I was beginning to worry someone might steal such an exquisite meal." He sighed in relief.

"I'm not sure how many other people would be able to handle it, what with your spice-loving preferences." Asuna put in as she unwrapped his sandwich and handed it to him.

She had known they would probably be hungrier than usual after swimming for so long, so she was glad she had thought to pack extra: several rice balls, along with small bento boxes and water bottles were soon placed on the table as well.

"Ha." He smirked. "We don't have to spend our money at the overpriced food court _and_ we get to eat better food. Everyone else is so unfortunate." He sang these words as though blessing his own fortune.

"Don't say such things in public..." Asuna mumbled from across the table. "You'll make me blush..."

"Aha sorry about that." Kazuto gave a wide grin as she shyly bowed her head. "Now then, let's eat!"

They said their thanks before taking their long-awaited first bites into their food. Asuna relished Kazuto's blissful expression more than the taste of the food and was constantly battling giggles as she chewed.

After a few minutes, she began to feel hot even though there was air conditioning in this room, and Kazuto noticed too. "Unless you're still embarrassed from earlier, I think you're looking a bit red."

"Well don't remind me of something that will make me blush even more!" She puffed her cheeks out into a pout. "I guess it's because there are so many people in here."

"You know you should-"

"I know, I know, I'm taking it off, okay?" Sighing, she unraveled the yellow towel from around her body and left it hanging loosely over her shoulders, although her stomach, and of course her stunning bathing suit, were now exposed. "D-Don't stare, Kirito-kun!" She hissed, lightly kicking his shin.

"R-Right. Wouldn't want to draw even more unnecessary attention to you." He said, clearing his throat.

Even though she had barely moved when she removed her towel, as she continued to eat she felt as though more eyes were upon her now, but she did her best to ignore them.

Rather, she focused her attention on a group of girls with dyed hair and overbearing make-up sitting a few tables away that were ogling her boyfriend as they giggled. She felt her ears grow hot as a feeling of possessiveness crept into her chest and she sent silent glares at them until she finally caught one girl's eyes. Asuna only held her gaze for half a second, but her intent was as clear as day, and the other girl quickly turned around to hush her gaggle of friends. Asuna let out a satisfied snort, not unlike a mare who had just defended her mate from a pack of wolves.

"What are you doing?" Kazuto asked as he noticed her glaring intensely behind him.

"Ah, oh it's nothing. Just making my position known." She added the second part quietly so he could not hear. He stared at her for a moment longer before shrugging it off.

Eventually they finished up, and Kazuto gathered the trash. "I'm gonna go throw everything away and then change." He said, grabbing his bag with his clothes in it. "Then you can go change when I come back."

"Okay." She gave him a tiny wave as he headed off.

When he had gone, Asuna could almost feel the manifestation of the stares she was receiving, and she clutched her towel closer to her shoulders, but she sat up straight and held her chin out, making sure her expression did not show her unease.

However, she swallowed when she noticed a group of three boys stand up from a nearby table, all wearing only their swimsuits. _Please don't come this way, please don't, please..._ She begged in her mind. But their hungry smirks and swaying shoulders told her she would not be so lucky and after a minute, the three of them had appeared in front of her.

Asuna had closed her eyes and rested her elbows on the table, and she put her chin on her hands and tried to appear in a state of meditation or sleep, praying they leave her be.

"Hey, there cutie." She heard a gruff voice. She was instantly irked by the obvious attempt at flirtation even though she was clearly with someone else. _But they don't know he's my boyfriend, I guess. So I should be nice_.

She realized they had been looking at her for a while now and probably would not believe she had so conveniently fallen asleep. Feeling a little adventurous, she decided to crack one eye open with a tiny hint of a condescending air.

"Can I help you?" She asked calmly. She had been planning on being polite, as they honestly could just be strangely nice and saying hello, but her nice demeanor shattered instantly when one of them rudely invited himself to sit in Kazuto's seat.

"Uh, yeah maybe you can." He smirked.

"Excuse me-" She tried to sound tart, but he was not interested in what she had to say.

"_Damn_ you're hot." He went on, leaning forward and staring at her in the highest level of intrusiveness.

"You wanna come home with us?" Another one asked.

Asuna had been willing to try and keep talking as politely as possible to them, but that comment struck the second strike.

"In case you couldn't tell, I'm already with someone today." She glared up at the one who had spoken, so intensely that he and the other one who was still standing took a step back. She then glared back at the one sitting in front of her. "So I must kindly ask that you please leave his seat."

But just then, a fourth boy came up from behind her and blatantly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you think you're-?!" But Asuna's outraged exclamation was cut off yet again.

"I've been watching you all day," he continued as though she had never spoken a word, and what he said only served to make her angrier as well as uncomfortable. "And you're _way_ too good for that kid who's following you around-"

That was the final straw.

Asuna stood instantly, smacking the fourth boy's arm away so hard he stumbled backward. She slammed her palms down onto the table, making a loud clattering sound that drew the attention of several other people.

"Don't you _dare_ talk as if you know him!" She shouted, infuriated. "He's a thousand times the man you could ever _hope_ to be! So you'd best be off before I lose my control altogether!"

"Oh, scary!" One of them mocked. Asuna sent an icy glare his way before taking a threatening step in that direction. Two of the boys then promptly retreated. The one who was like the alpha male clicked his tongue in annoyance before standing as well and turning back to Asuna.

"Now listen here, you bitch-"

"No _you_ listen to me-"

"_What_ did you just call her?"

The enraged discourse Asuna had intended to bombard him with fell short when a familiar voice sounded from behind her. Kazuto's warm hand rested gently on her shoulder, holding her back as he stepped in front of her, squaring up to the other boy.

Asuna could tell the remaining two intruders went pale almost instantly. Several other people around them were beginning to mutter nervously and Asuna prayed things would go no further.

Luckily, the two boys glared at Asuna one last time before following the others and rushing away.

"Wait just a damn minute you bastards!" Kazuto bellowed as he started to follow them. But Asuna quickly clung onto his arm and he stopped.

"It's okay, Kirito-kun."

"It's _not_ okay, Asuna! I heard what they said to you!"

"They were just words."

"One of them touched you."

"I'm okay."

"But still-!"

"Kirito-kun!" She earnestly said his name to reassure him that everything was all right. She slid her hands down to cover his, and he slowly entwined his fingers with hers. "It's fine."

"But it's not." He growled.

"Listen, you have no idea how happy I am about your getting so mad," she smiled. "But that's all I need. You don't have to fight them, but thanks for the thought." Her genuine smile caused him to falter, and finally he took a deep breath before sighing.

"Fine. But if I see those guys again I'll-!" He clenched his other hand into a fist but Asuna placed a hand on his shoulder and brought him back over to the table and sat down next to him.

"Forget about them. I had a lot of fun today." She nestled her forehead into his shoulder. "Possibly the most fun all summer."

Kazuto gave her a small smile in return. "Yeah..." He said doing his best to forget the troublesome events. "It was really nice, wasn't it? I'm glad you had so much fun." He lightly rested his head on top of hers and put his arm around her.

At last, the final bit of tension dissipated and they relaxed for a moment, remembering all the fun things from that day and erasing the past few minutes. But before very long, Kazuto felt her begin to shiver and realized she had not yet changed clothes.

"Hey, don't fall asleep. You should go change. I'll clean up and wait for you here." He nudged her and Asuna nodded before wrapping the yellow towel around her again and heading off.

When she returned in her dress, Kazuto picked up the picnic basket on one arm and extended his other elbow. Asuna daintily slipped her arm through his and smiled gleefully up at him.

"I wonder what we'll do next." She said dreamily.

"Hmmm... maybe a hot spring!" He chuckled.

"A-A what?"

"I'm just kidding." He teased.

"No... actually that might be kind of nice..."

"What was that?"

"Ah, oh nothing." She dismissed the topic. "We can think about it on the walk home." She suggested as they left the building.

"Sure thing." He agreed as they stepped outside and were met by the warm evening air.

As they walked, they chatted and tossed ideas around about what to do next, all the while with their arms locked proudly and a few happy bounds in their steps.

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**A/N: Well I tried, eheheh. If you want to see more drama from those guys, let me know because I have an inkling of what else I could do with them involved. If not, how does a hot springs chapter or two sound?**

**Please review!**


	38. A Little More Trouble

**Okay so I received mixed reviews about adding more drama this week, but it seems just a _few_ more voted yes, so here it is. As for the rest of you, please just bear with it a little longer! Thanks!**

**Also as many of you know, I had email problems so I apologize for late replies, but I do believe I got to everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

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Chapter 38. A Little More Trouble

Evening cicadas chirped, filling the air with the sounds of summer as Kazuto and Asuna made their way down the sidewalk.

The sun was slowly inching across the sky, which was beginning to turn orange and pink.

They walked in silence for a while until an idea sparked in Kazuto's mind. "Hey, is it okay if we make one last stop before we head home?" He asked while giving her hand a little squeeze.

"Sure!" She nodded eagerly. "Where are we going?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Ah geez, not again, Kirito-kun!" She complained playfully.

She let him lead and followed behind, trying to track the path they were taking in her mind and guess where it would end.

"We're almost there." He said at last.

Asuna looked ahead to see if she recognized where they were going. They had traveled away from town and appeared to be going toward a small forest. Asuna had passed by this way many times before, but she only just realized that she had never gone in that direction because she assumed there was nothing there.

However, just before they could step off the concrete sidewalk and onto the dirt path, there was a familiar sound from behind them.

It was the sound of muffled laughter, but it was not the innocent laughter of another couple heading for an evening walk. Instead, it was a laughter that suggested trouble, and it sounded more threatening than easygoing.

Asuna did not even have to turn around to know who the group of people trailing them were.

"Kirito-kun..." She tried to speak in a warning tone, but not serious enough to get him riled up.

"Yeah. I know." His reply was angry, yet controlled, as he knew he could not go picking a fight right now no matter how badly he wanted to. He tried to keep his emotions quelled, but changed his direction at the last minute, taking Asuna away from the forest and heading back into town. "Let's just walk a while longer and see if we can lose them." He said in a low tone.

"I can't believe they're following us!" She hissed.

"They're just trying to be obnoxious."

"Well, it's working."

Kazuto took her back to the more populated part of town with passing cars and small stores that were still open. They entered a small bookstore and promptly headed to one of the back aisles that was hidden behind several shelves.

"This is ridiculous." Asuna grumbled. "We're acting like fugitives."

"But it's better not to confront them." Kazuto replied calmly before adding, "Because if we did, I don't know what I'd do to them." Asuna could see that he was doing his best to suppress the rage she knew was flowing inside of him. She understood; when those guys had insulted her so blatantly, Kazuto probably felt the same anger she had experienced when they had talked down about Kazuto to her.

To be honest, a part of her almost wanted to confront them, and she hated feeling like an animal being chased and forced to hide. But the other side of her knew this was the best thing to do in order to end things quietly.

Kazuto and Asuna browsed through some books, all the while keeping one eye on the four boys who had followed them from the water park. They kept walking around the store noisily, but no one, not even the workers, would go up to them to ask them to be quiet; they just gave off that sort of presence that anyone could read and automatically know they were the violent types.

At one point, they began harassing a group of people who had been minding their own business and reading at a table.

"Are you serious?" Asuna's whisper was outraged. "They're trying to smoke us out by causing problems for other people?"

"Cowards." Kazuto spat disdainfully.

For a moment, the two of them stood in their corner and watching the group of troublemakers candidly causing problems for the other customers. Many of the victims left immediately in obvious discomfort, and Kazuto and Asuna tightened their grip on the other's hand simultaneously.

It was similar to watching members of the Army do injustice to the innocent players in SAO, and their sense of justice immediately flared up, and the two of them longed for nothing more than to step up and take them on.

Their minds shared the same thoughts, but just before they could take action, Kazuto held her back. "Wait. I know it's difficult to watch, but we can't interfere. It's exactly what they want."

"...You're right." Asuna sighed, conflicted. "But we can't just let them continue this. No one's speaking up about it."

"Let's just leave. They haven't seen us yet, so they don't even know we're in here. Maybe they'll give up soon and just go home."

"I hope so."

They skirted the bookshelves and stuck close to the walls as they made their way to the exit. Asuna could not help but shoot one last disgusted look in their tormentors direction, but just before she could look away, one of them met her eyes. The corners of his lips curled into a revolting smirk, the smirk of the hunter who had just spotted his elusive prey.

Asuna gave a small gasp and she quickly ducked away. "Kirito-kun..." She said guiltily.

"Damn it. Let's go." He no longer hid his urgency behind slow steps, and together they took off running in hopes of shaking them off quickly. They entered the next closest store, which was an art supply shop, and instantly headed to the back.

"I'm sorry." Asuna sighed. "If I hadn't looked over that last time-"

"They would have seen us anyway." He cut her off. "It's better that you noticed them because now we're not just blissfully thinking we've won."

"I guess so..." She muttered.

They walked around the art store for a few moments, but then the door opened again to let in four, unpleasantly familiar faces.

Kazuto and Asuna slipped into and out of 2 more shops that evening, but still had not lost their persistent pursuers. When they had left the fourth shop, which had been a clothing store, they were practically running down the sidewalk.

"I can't believe it! Goddamn cowards." Kazuto growled. "If they don't give up really soon I swear I'll..."

"What's their problem anyway?" Asuna exclaimed.

"They're just a bunch of guys with nothing better to do and no girlfriends." He shrugged, earning a little giggle from her.

But an instant later, an annoyingly familiar voice called out to them.

"What the hell did you say, punk?"

In the next second, Asuna's hand was ripped from Kazuto's, and she shrieked as one of them yanked her hair, halting her steps instantly.

"Asuna!" Kazuto skidded to a halt as the other three showed themselves as well. The one who had sat down and harassed Asuna before, the leader figure, stepped forward from the side to glare at Kazuto.

"You know," he said in a threatening tone. "I really don't like what you just said. Maybe you should apologize before I-"

But before he could even finish his threats, Kazuto darted past him, utterly ignoring him. He clenched his fists and aimed for the guy grabbing Asuna.

When she realized what he planned to do, Asuna ducked seconds before Kazuto jumped up, scoring his fist directly into the other boy's face before he even knew what was coming. He staggered backward as he let go of Asuna and fell ungraciously to the ground.

"What the-?" The other two of the group were clearly dumbfounded, and Asuna took a second to be amused by their complete bewilderment before she noticed the leader charging Kazuto from behind.

"Kirito-kun!"

Just as he had finished taking down her attacker, she gave Kazuto a slight shove sideways at just the perfect angle that his attacker swung his fist and just missed hitting him. Asuna was now in his fist's path but she, too, dodged the punch easily before she grabbed his shoulders with both hands. Before he could even have time to think, she pulled his torso downward while at the same time slamming her knee up into his solar plexus. He coughed once pathetically before crumpling to the ground in a whimpering heap. "You're just lucky I didn't aim lower." She scoffed.

She and Kazuto then straightened up, each choosing one of the remaining guys, and locking eyes with them. They were clearly petrified that their other two teammates had been taken down and made fools of within less than a minute, and could do nothing more than stand there with their jaws gaping.

"Anyone else up for some action?" Kazuto squared up to them, cracking his fingers, and Asuna kicked the ground experimentally.

It was not three seconds later when the other two members of the group had promptly vanished down the street.

Kazuto and Asuna both sighed, satisfied, before looking at one another with accomplishment wafting off of their persons.

"Are you okay?" Kazuto quickly asked, looking her over. "I'm sorry I let it get so far as for him to touch you."

"It's fine."

"It's not, but if you say so, I guess I'll let it slide." He grumbled.

"So... should we just leave them here?" She wondered.

Kazuto looked them over and saw that the guy who had grabbed Asuna was beginning to stir.

"Yeah, let's go. He's probably more likely to drag this guy along with him if we're not still here when he wakes up."

Asuna nodded, and together they took off down the sidewalk. Kazuto glanced back over his shoulder briefly to see his predictions come true as the remaining two of their defeated opponents limped away.

At last, Kazuto and Asuna came to a stop and caught their breaths. As he was wiping a bit of sweat from his brow, Kazuto noticed they were near the same spot they had been initially heading before they noticed their pursuers.

"Hey, look where we are." He nudged her and she glanced up.

"We went in one giant circle, didn't we?" She gave a little laugh.

"So then let's just pretend all that stuff in between never happened, okay?"

"Sounds good to me." She opened up her left hand and Kazuto took it with his right and slowly led her off onto the dirt path.

There was a little stretch of woods before them, and as they walked through it, Asuna could not help but be amused. "We probably look like thugs or something, beating people up and then casually walking off into the woods at sunset while holding hands."

"They attacked first, so it was self-defense." Kazuto pointed out. "But it is kind of laughable to change paces so quickly." He agreed.

"Did you see the dumb looks on their faces?" She chimed in. "It's like they expected to have some long, dramatic fight-"

"But then we creamed them like it was nothing and walked away." He finished, chuckling.

"I guess we shouldn't be making fun. They really did try their best." Asuna said just mockingly enough that it was more amusing than anything else.

They walked in silence from then on, listening to the cicadas chirping as the warm breeze tugged at their hair.

At last, they came to a stop at the edge of the forest.

A single bench sat overlooking the wide landscape of mountains and forests beyond, and a small fence rose up from the end of the cliff. Colors swirled around from the sky to the trees, mixing gold with pink and purple in a breathtaking scene.

"Wow!" Asuna exclaimed. "I never knew about this place!"

"I'm glad it was a surprise then." He grinned. "Let's sit for a while."

They placed their bags that they had skillfully managed to keep a hold of during the brawl onto the grass and sat side by side on the bench that overlooked the land. "You're sure you're okay?" Kazuto asked once more.

"Yes. Thank you for saving me, Kirito-kun."

"I should be thanking you." He replied.

Asuna smiled as she leaned onto his shoulder, and he placed his hand on her back. His warm hand gently rubbed up and down her shoulders in a soothing motion, as though to erase the feeling of when her attacker had jerked her backward by the hair so sharply.

He continued to run his fingers lightly through her tresses, and she let out a long breath, savoring his familiar touch as she relaxed against him.

The sun slipped behind the distant mountains, taking some of the light with it, but still leaving behind a fair amount of pale, purple skies. The trees were bathed in pink and the grass swayed silently in the breeze, the buzzing cicadas soon replaced by chirping night crickets.

By the time the fireflies emerged at twilight, Asuna had rested her head in his lap and fallen onto a light sleep. Kazuto patted her shoulder, still stroking her long chestnut hair with ease, letting the soft, silky feeling tickle his fingertips.

At one point, he had to quickly reach forward to grab her and prevent her from rolling off, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled her back into his arms.

She continued to sleep peacefully while using his lap as a pillow, and he figured he would just let her sleep, considering all they had been through today.

A short while later, she stirred and blinked her eyes open to a fuzzy, sideways view of the world. She noticed that someone else's hand was holding hers and she turned her head upward to see Kazuto smiling down at her.

"Sleep well?" He asked, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Mm." She made a confirmative sound and smiled as his lips tickled her skin.

"Wanna head back?" He wondered, helping her find her balance as she sat up.

"I guess we should, huh?" She was as reluctant as he was, but there was not long now until tomorrow when they could see each other again.

Standing, they gathered their things before entering into a loose embrace and kissing once again, the headed off back down the path together.

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**A/N: I hope you liked it! As for future chapters, some of you pointed out that hot springs in the summertime might not be a good idea, but I'll definitely get to that plotline! As for next week, some more shenanigans online!**

**Please review!**


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